Recently, the City Council here in Austin was pondering whether to give a soft loan to a nightclub, Midtown Live, a nightclub that is frequented by primarily African Americans. I am wondering if this is good policy or a weak “mea culpa.”

You see, what happened is that the nightclub caught on fire and while it was burning cops were emailing each other, apparently happy that the club was burning, saying things like “Burn, baby, burn” and “I got some extra gasoline if they need it” and “U can smell Midtown from 35. It