Update (2/16) III: A white college student fed up with the obsessive and silly pursuit of skin color diversity at the expense of common sense and fairness writes:
“Every morning, I sit down with a delicious Dewick breakfast, coffee and the Daily. As of late, every morning, I make it to the Viewpoints page and read a heart-warming article about tolerance, diversity and community. Then every morning, I roll my eyes, shut the Daily and reach for a newspaper from the real world. This morning, after reading that not enough white people came to the town meeting and that intro-level English classes should be turned into race relations classes, I have had enough.”
Thanks for linking, Michelle. Check out this Washington Post article about MM.
Update (8:21 p.m) II: Want more proof that race preferences are on the way out? An hispanic cop sued because he claimed his department passed him over for lesser qualified blacks. And he won $254,000. Despite what liberal justices on the Supreme Court say, race preferences are unlawful and cannot be justified, even for god-almighty “diversity.” Expect to read about more such lawsuits filed by whites, hispanics, and Asians, and be prepared to see blacks and hispanics fighting to be THE-preferred-minority-group-in-charge. Pitiful, the whole bloody game.
(Hat tip: Discriminations)
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You may recall that I blogged about a white student who was accepted to an Urban Journalism Workshop — sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University (taxpayer-supported), the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, and the Richmond Times Dispatch — based on her qualifications and then rejected based on her race. The Center for Individual Rights (CIR) filed suit on her behalf. (Also see White Student Sues for Racial Discrimination)
[Update: I've corrected CIR's name. I wrote "Center for Civil Rights" instead of "Center of Individual Rights." Sorry for the confusion. But that's why linking to sources is good! I think Ward Connerly's organization was on my mind when I wrote the post this morning.]
Well, the case has been resolved in her favor. Last month, the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, Media Group Corporation, and Virginia Commonwealth University agreed to open the summer workshop to all races. Apparently, the agreement applies to workshops at other schools as well. Download a PDF copy of the settlement agreement. (Also see Journalism Programs to Be Race Blind)
One can make an argument that programs for “minorities” are necessary, given the seemingly intractable academic achievement gap problem and other disadvantages that disproportionately affect certain minorities (poor family formation, fatherless homes, etc). Private entities have the “freedom of association” to do just that, but public entities do not. It is against the law to discriminate against people on the basis of race, and taxpayers should not be coerced into supporting illegal programs. We do it all the time with illegal “immigration,” of course, but that’s a separate matter.
As I’ve said many times, a government with the power to discriminate against whites and in favor of minorities can wield that same power to discriminate against minorities and in favor of whites. It should not have the power to do either.
The time to end race-based programs is at hand. With three states voting to ban preferences in government hiring and admissions (Washington, California, and Michigan), and more states on the way, the government had better find a cleverer way to achieve its obsessive and unrealistic pursuit of skin deep-only diversity, because discriminating against whites (and Asians, in some cases) is blatantly illegal.
The consequences of racial discrimination can be pretty steep. Last year, a judge decided that 40 white male professors at Northern Arizona University were entitled to $4.1 million in back pay and raises. Southern Illinois University agreed to open three previously racially exclusive fellowships to all races after the Department of Justice threatened to sue. And 40,000 whites who applied to and were rejected by the University of Michigan between 1995-2003 may file claims and seek damages against the taxpayer-supported school for racial discrimination. CIR filed suit against the school ten years ago on behalf of two people, and that case has been settled. Each plaintiff will receive $10,000 in damages.
Damages. To a lawyer, that word is golden. Treble damages. Even a liberal lawyer who supports skin color discrimination won’t be able to resist that. Government institutions had better wise up, especially in states with explicit anti-racial discrimination laws on the books. Dismantle race preference policies now, and find a subtler way to admit lower qualified minorities to achieve that elusive, amorphous, and godlike goal of “diversity.”
Or be prepared to pay up.
Trivia: Because of skin deep-only preferences, black Africans and children of recent African immigrants are overrepresented in colleges and universities, at the expense of the descendants of black American slaves, for whom so-called affirmative action was created. (Source)
Related posts:
- Asians: The Non-Preferred Minority
- Colorblind Bind
- Florida’s Lower IQ Scheme Doomed to Fail
- Value of Diversity
- Hispanics Whine For Entitlements
Addendum: Expect to see more successful discrimination lawsuits. People are winning because the law is on their side.
