Equity by default is biased
An Equity and Justice for All Commission. Does this strike anyone as concerning?
Mayor Harry Rillling wants such a commission and has an RFP out looking for experts to create this commission. When I hear things like this, I wonder at the real purpose. Equity comes at the expense of Equality since it is predicated upon the viewpoint of the Equity decider, not on social norms.
Therefore, Equity by default is biased and will result in picking winners and losers. Sure, it starts out altruistically, but power like this has a history of being corrupted. We have a great example of this in POKO — brought to us by another unaccountable, powerful appointed commission that, despite being a “force for good” has ridden rough shod over the Norwalk taxpayer in the quest to benefit the few. The very nature of this new commission will be much more powerful than the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency.
So, who appoints the Equity and Fairness Commissioners? What is their mandate? What are their powers of enforcement? Can those powers infringe on ordinary citizens constitutional rights? Who funds them? Who holds them accountable? Term length? Is this legal? Etc., etc.
When you ponder those questions and concerns in the light of the POKO experience, you begin to see the problem. Equity is subjective, murky, and corruptible. Conversely Equality is objective and transparent therefore by default much, much harder to be corrupted, therefore fair.
I think we are mistakenly addressing the inherent inequality in society via the path of Equity which will inevitably result in unforeseen, unintended, negative consequences. Welfare and failing school districts are great examples.
Can I suggest we use the teachings and wisdom of Doctor Martin Luther King, Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele, Walter Williams and others as the standard vs. the inevitable bias that the RFP winner will bring to the table. Perhaps revamp the RFP language by swapping Equality for Equity and rename it “Equality and Justice for All Commission.”
OKLAHOMA CITY — RJ Barrett scored a careerhigh 32 points and Julius Randle netted a tripledouble to lead the New York Knicks past the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-97 on Saturday.
The Knicks trailed by nine after one quarter with the Thunder shooting 70.6% from the floor, but they outscored the Thunder 97-66 over the final 36 minutes.
Al Horford had 16 points to lead seven Oklahoma City players in double figures.
The Knicks overcame the deficit by forcing 18 turnovers while committing just 10 of their own. New York also outrebounded Oklahoma City 45-40 and grabbed seven more offensive boards than the Thunder.
“Obviously, we started the game slowly,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “That was a big concern, particularly with the early start. But we responded well after that, and I thought we played strong in the second half. I thought our willingness to share the ball, once we got our defense going, it got us into the open floor and we were able to get some good scoring opportunities.”
The Knicks were coming off their worst defensive performance of the season, a 134-101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. Following a challenging opening quarter, the Knicks held the Thunder to just 42.4% from the floor in the last three periods.
“In Milwaukee, we weren’t really us,” Barrett
said. “We didn’t feel like we played as hard as we could. Today, we just tried to show who we are. Just be tough on both ends of the floor.”
The Thunder, missing leading scorer Shai Gilgeous Alexander, started fast with Luguentz Dort scoring eight of his 14 points in the first frame.
The Thunder couldn’t sustain their pace though, and the Knicks took command in the second quarter, outscoring Oklahoma City 34-23 to take a twopoint lead into halftime.
Oklahoma City briefly retook the lead at the start of the third quarter, but it wouldn’t last. Barrett knocked down a 3-pointer with 10:19 left in the quarter and the Knicks led the rest of the way.
RARE COMPANY
Julius Randle, who posted 26 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, became the first Knick to post two triple-doubles in the same season since Mark Jackson in the 1988-89 season.
When asked about the accomplishment, Thibodeau was admittedly surprised it had been that long since a Knick notched two triple-doubles in the same season, but he complimented the first-time All-Star’s play in his seventh NBA season.
“Julius had a monster game,” Thibodeau said. “To score the way he did, the assists, the all-around play, I think that’s what leaders do. This season, the numbers speak for themselves, but his impact on winning
is huge. His leadership has been terrific.”
BIG ADJUSTMENT
Oklahoma City’s 7-foot-2 center, Moses Brown, played a career-high 27 minutes off the bench and frequently drew attention from the Knicks’ defense in the low post
“It’s only his second real game of NBA minutes, and he continues to be pretty productive and a factor,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “It was interesting to see the amount of bodies that they committed to him on the offensive end.”
Brown nearly posted a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds in just his second game since he was called up from his G-League assignment with the Oklahoma City Blue.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Isaiah Roby returned to the team’s starting five. He finished with 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting . ... The Thunder move to 2-7 in the first game of a back-toback and 11-18 when their opponent scores more than 100 points.
Knicks: Nerlens Noel received a warm welcome from the Thunder public address when starters were announced Saturday afternoon. Noel, who played for Oklahoma City the past two seasons, posted eight rebounds and two points . ... Elfrid Payton (hamstring), Austin Rivers (personal) and Derrick Rose (COVID-19 health protocols) were unavailable . ... Frank Ntilikina started for the second time this season. He had one assist and no points in seven minutes.
INDIANAPOLIS — Kofi Cockburn scored 18 of his 26 points in the first half, and No. 3 Illinois beat No. 5 Iowa 82-71 on Saturday to advance to the Big Ten Tournament title game.
The Fighting Illini (22-6) have won six straight, with three coming against top-10 foes. If Illinois wins one more, against No. 9 Ohio State, it would claim its first tourney title since 2005.
Ayo Dosunmu scored 18 points for Illinois, and reserve guard Andre Curbelo finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Luka Garza had 21 points and 12 rebounds for Iowa (21-7). Jordan Bohannon scored 20 points.
NO. 9 OHIO STATE 68, NO. 4 MICHIGAN 67
INDIANAPOLIS — Duane Washington Jr. scored 24 points, E.J. Liddell had 18 and Ohio State held off Michigan to advance to the Big Ten Tournament championship.
The Buckeyes (21-8) will play their fourth game in four days against No. 3 Illinois on Sunday.
Michigan managed to cut a 13-point deficit to one in the final 41⁄2 minutes. After a third consecutive Buckeyes turnover in the final 90 seconds, Mike Smith’s long jumper with 2 seconds left bounced off the back of the rim and time expired in the scramble for the loose ball.
Hunter Dickinson had 21 points and eight rebounds for the Wolverines (20-4), who played without Isaiah Livers after he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right foot.
Ohio State forward Kyle Young sat out after he was hit in the head with an inadvertent elbow against Purdue.
NO. 6 ALABAMA 73, TENNESSEE 68
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Herbert Jones had 21 points, 13 rebounds and four assists, helping Alabama rally for the win.
Jahvon Quinerly had 19 points for the Crimson Tide, including two free throws with 15.5 seconds left.
Top-seeded Alabama (23-6) faces LSU in Sunday’s championship in search of its first SEC Tournament title since 1991.
Tennessee (18-8) awaits an NCAA Tournament seeding on Sunday.
Trailing 48-33 with 16:56 remaining, the Crimson Tide stormed back to
lead 60-59 with 5:26 left.
Keon Johnson had 20 points for Tennessee, and Jaden Springer finished with 18.
LSU 78, NO. 8 ARKANSAS 71
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Cameron Thomas scored 21 points, and LSU reached the SEC Tournament championship for the first time since 1993.
The Tigers (18-8) will play No. 6 Alabama on Sunday looking to improve their NCAA Tournament seeding even more. LSU has won this tournament only once — back in 1980.
Javonte Smart scored 19 points for LSU, and Darius Days had 13 points and eight rebounds.
Marcus Moody tied his season high with 28 points for Arkansas (22-6). Justin Smith added 21.
10 YEARS AGO
Just as they had several times during the regular season, the Brien McMahon boys basketball team showed its resilience as the Senators bounced back from a tough 77-75 loss to Westhill in the FCIAC quarterfinals to win their opening state tournament game. Seeded seventh in Class LL, McMahon outclassed No. 26 Newtown 64-43 behind Al Azulphar, the 6-foot-10 center who had to sit out the first 14 games after transferring from Greenwich High. Playing in only his eighth game with his new team, Azulphar had his best outing with 23 points, six rebounds and six blocked shots. McMahon, now 17-5, advances to the second round against No. 10 Wilbur Cross.
A week after winning the Class L state title, Norwalk High wrestler Brandon Riggins finished third at the State Open in the 189-pound weight class. The Bears’ junior transfer lost a tough 4-3 decision in the quarterfinals before posting four straight wins to grab the third-place medal. He finished the season 20-2, his only losses coming in the FCIAC finals and the Open. Including the 17-2 record he compiled in Oklahoma before moving to Norwalk, Riggins went a combined 37-4 this season.
25 YEARS AGO
Jason Faucher closed out his outstanding hockey career at Norwalk High with a goal and an assist in the Bears’ 4-3 seasonending victory over Sheehan. Junior Jed Wisniewski scored three goals and senior goalie Shaun Belward made 31 saves as Norwalk finished 6-13-1. Faucher finished the season with 31 goals and 22 assists, upping his fouryear totals to 110 goals and 77 assists. His 187 career points ranks fourth all-time in city history, while Faucher’s 110 goals is the second most in city annals. The only player to score more is his older brother, Tom Faucher, who had 121 goals (and a city record 213 points) for NHS from 1988-92.
Four days after winning a second consecutive FCIAC championship, the unbeaten Norwalk
High boys basketball team began its quest for another title as the top-seeded Bears opened the Class LL state tournament at home with a dominating 116-70 rout of No. 27 Cheshire. After needing back-to-back fourthquarter rallies to pull out victories in the FCIAC semifinals and finals, Norwalk was able to coast in its state opener. The 23-0 Bears trailed 12-6 early, but quickly caught fire to take a 24-16 lead after one quarter, extend it to 67-32 at halftime, and go up 46 points in the third period. NHS shot a blistering 75 percent as Keith Sellers scored 21 points, Karrem McClendon added 19 off the bench, Zack Wrentz and TJ Trimboli had 18 points apiece, and Paco Fabian scored 12. The Bears also dished out 33 assists, led by Trimboli’s eight while four other players had five or more.
Norwalk’s final home game against No. 16 Bristol Eastern (15-6) in the second round was postponed on Thursday and Friday due to inclement weather before tipping off Saturday night. Led by Trimboli’s career-high 38 points and 10 assists, the Bears advanced to the quarterfinals with an 89-73 win. Trimboli made 13 of 18 shots, including 7 for 11 on 3-pointers. Norwalk’s 25-0 record equals the program’s best start ever, matching the 1980-81 Bears. That team lost in the state quarterfinals and finished 25-1.
50 YEARS AGO
All three local high schools qualified for the state basketball tournament, but only Central Catholic was able to get out of the first round. The Cavaliers, seeded No. 14 in Class M, nipped WCC rival Masuk 63-62 as John Paladino sank the game-winning basket at the buzzer. The 21stseeded Panthers led CCHS 62-55 with a minute remaining, but buckets by John Fullam, Paladino and Bill Blankemeir made it 62-61 with three seconds to go. Don Gustafson then stole the inbounds pass and fed Paladino for the game winner. Bobby Kramer scored 17 points and Blankemeir had 16 as the Cavaliers improved to 14-7 and face No. 6 Wolcott Tech in the quarterfinals.
While Central Catholic rallied in the final minute, Brien McMahon and Norwalk both saw leads slip away in the closing seconds and suffer heartbreaking losses in the Class LL tournament. The Senators, seeded 10th with a 14-6 record, led No. 2 Amity 64-59 with 1:04 to go only to see the Housatonic Valley Conference champs score the final eight points and post a 67-64 win. Senior co-captain Brad Smith scored 17 points to lead McMahon, which finished 14-7.
Norwalk High, the No. 11 seed, drew No. 3 Rippowam, the FCIAC champions whom the Bears lost to twice this season, once by 16 points and last week by 14 in the league semifinals. But the third time was almost the charm for NHS, which led the 20-1 Warriors by 14 points in the third quarter and by nine in the final period. Norwalk was still ahead 58-56, but Rippowam converted two free throws with 14 seconds left to tie it and then scored the first six points in overtime to pull out a 65-60 win over the upset-minded Bears. Cedric Gay scored 18 points and Dave Raila had 14 for Norwalk, which finished 13-8.