Number of columns David Brooks has written in support of Black Lives Matter: Zero.

Number of times David Brooks has tweeted in support of Black Lives Matter: Also zero. https://twitter.com/nytdavidbrooks/status/1354993338462646280

We are witnessing the "I supported Dr. King" rewriting of history in real time.

BTW, I'm not arguing that Brooks is entirely wrong about opening schools here. (You can tell, because if I were making that argument, I'd be making it.) There ARE real costs to keeping schools closed—as many educators, parents, and advocates for kids have noted.

When and how to reopen schools is a hard question, and the position that we should be trying to move faster is a legitimate one. It's a serious debate, and—again—an ongoing one.

But to suggest that supporters of BLM (whose views on school reopening are varied) are hypocrites here—rather than Brooks himself, for wrapping himself in the BLM mantle in order to score cheap debating points against teachers—is bullshit.

Brooks' "we" in the tweet at the start of this thread isn't an expression of solidarity, much less community. It's an "I know what's good for you better than you do" rhetorical move. And it's one that's endemic among self-proclaimed "realistic" centrists.

"I support you, but" is an intoxicating, irresistible opening. But it's horseshit if the "I support you" part of it isn't grounded in anything tangible. And it's not just David Brooks who needs to be reminded of that.