Comments on: McCain Endores Equal Treatment – FINALLY

By: toubabou

toubabou — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:10:20 +0000

Bev,

You just made my day!

By: La Shawn

La Shawn — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:18:15 +0000

Political expediency.

By: Larry the Tarheel

Larry the Tarheel — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:00:49 +0000

LSB don’t get too excited, this is only for consumption during an election year. I know you know that this man will change in an instant once he gets the office.

By: Bev

Bev — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:03:00 +0000

To toubabou,

As one who viewed it as unfair preferential treatment for instant university admission for children of well to do Alumni for a long time, I now understand all your points in your comment. Just a few years ago, none of what you said would have made any sense to me.

By: Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:34:54 +0000

Obama and Affirmative Action…

It’s worth actually watching Obama responding to questions at UNITY and his specific assessment of the future of Affirmative Action before you decide what you think….

By: La Shawn

La Shawn — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:43:38 +0000

I can’t believe readers have nothing more to say on this post. I thought for sure this one would be hot. Oh, well!

By: Mwalimu Daudi

Mwalimu Daudi — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:17:34 +0000

While I respect the views of AA opponents, most of the arguments never seem to address whether the ends have justified the means. It’s more of the same old “it’s divisive” argument. Who started dividing first?

The same could easily be said for affirmative action supporters. Do the ends – some vaguely-expressed goal of “racial equality” which seems to have no exit strategy – really justify the means? Why is racial preference evil when practiced by individuals and private companies but not governments? And what makes affirmative action supporters think that they can fight fire with fire (in this case racial bias with racial bias) and end up with more than scorched earth?

By: toubabou

toubabou — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:01:11 +0000

Jim, one of the issues here, for me (I can’t speak for LSB), is the question of who is dividing. If Harvard wants to have a separate admissions track for children of contributing alumni, that encourages alumni to contribute and it is Harvard’s business. If the government requires a college to have a separate admissions track for descendants of slaves, and people who look like they might have had an ancestor who was once a slave, that is unfair government intrusion. Again, if a private organization wants to do that, I have no objections. I believe the United Negro College Fund is something of the kind. I also have no problem with the Daughters of the American Revolution offering a scholarship to my daughter because her ancestors served in the Continental Army. The government, however, should keep its nose out of it.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:26:56 +0000

Maybe I missed your post on this, but has affirmative action had any positive effect on the colored communities whatsoever in your opinion? Can you honestly state that “race preferences” or “AA” has had an overall negative effect on the black and hispanic communities?

Can I assume that since you’re against “race preferences” or “unofficial separate admissions tracks” you’re also against offspring of well to do alumni having their own admissions criteria? Can we get rid of that form of affirmative action as well?

By: Andrew Sullivan

Andrew Sullivan — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:46:22 +0000

Affirmative Action Reax…

In a rare moment of me completely agreeing with the Corner, Roger Clegg……