Tom Cotton and White America’s Unwillingness to Risk the Status Quo

Tom Cotton, a Republican senator from Arkansas, ran a dangerous piece in The New York Times. He argues it has become necessary to send the U.S. military to impose order in the wake of rioting following the murder of George Floyd. The piece is old news in our current cycle, but a response seems worthwhile given the argument’s deceptive framing and historical prominence. Time and again many white Americans favor the safety of the status quo over addressing racial inequality.