When St. Louisan Rex Sinquefield starts a fire, he uses a flame-thrower.

Mr. Sinquefield is a retired investor and philanthropist who has spent millions of dollars trying to convince lawmakers to let individuals divert taxpayer dollars from public schools to help them pay for private education. Last week, he poured gasoline on the combustible public education debate. Then he tossed a very big match.

In a speech at Lindenwood University, the founder of the libertarian Show-Me Institute think-tank said this, quoting from a column in an Osage County newspaper about the alleged beginnings of the public school system:

"... he said a long time ago, decades ago, the Ku Klux Klan got together and said how can we really hurt the African-American children permanently? How can we ruin their lives? And what they designed was the public school system."

The column Mr. Sinquefield quoted actually pointed out the story was contrived to make a larger point.

Mr. Sinquefield didn't mention that, and this is not, unfortunately, one of those instances in which the context makes things any better. Mr. Sinquefield prefaced his remarks by disparaging public school teachers. In arguing against tenure, he said that all the good teachers leave the profession, and the bad ones stay.

Simply bringing the KKK into any discussion that involves public schools, particularly struggling urban schools in St. Louis and Kansas City that serve primarily black populations, is monumentally absurd.

In trying to blow out the fire, Mr. Sinquefield issued a statement calling his words "ill-timed."

Ill-timed? When would be a good time?

Of all people, Mr. Sinquefield should know the damage that can be done by vilifying and demonizing one's political opponents. Some of those who've found themselves on the other side of Mr. Sinquefield's have said some pretty nasty things about him.

Extremist rhetoric creates an atmosphere in which compromise, or even discussion, is next to impossible.

Mr. Sinquefield has many bad ideas, but they aren't all bad. We appreciate, for instance, that he's willing to be mostly transparent about how he spends his money pushing political causes, unlike plenty of others. We agree with him that the St. Louis Police Department should be under local control. We agree that students in unaccredited school districts should be accepted by neighboring public school districts, and that a compromise to the current stalemate on that issue must be reached.

But his attacks on teachers are reprehensible. His KKK reference will forever color his positions in the school debate.

Here's the problem: Mr. Sinquefield isn't going anywhere, and there are plenty of others who share his views. His weak apology was correct when it noted, "The public discourse on these issues is too critical," for KKK references.

If Mr. Sinquefield wants to make amends, he will call off the school voucher dogs during the existing legislative session. He will focus on the very real problem of providing a fair, equal and adequate education to thousands of inner-city schoolchildren who now lack that opportunity. Remember, this debate isn't about Mr. Sinquefield or the teachers he demeans.

It's about the children.