April 2009

Race preferences bake sales (Asians pay a buck for a donut, women 50 cents, blacks 25 cents, and so on) are demonstrations that illustrate the demeaning nature of race-based preferences as practiced by colleges and universities across the country.

Earlier this month, Bucknell University closed down such a demonstration because of a technicality. Deans Commerford and Marrara cited a discrepancy between prices at the time of application and at the time of sale.

Hideously stupid, but when the Bucknell University Conservatives Club (BUCC) applied for a second demonstration, the school decided to suppress free speech altogether. The school said no dice. From the article:

“I concluded that this activity was a discriminatory fundraising event, which violates our stated, and legally required, nondiscrimination policy that is applicable to all sponsored or authorized events,” said Gerald Commerford, associate dean of students.

The BUCC’s choice to file another sales and solicitation form was an attempt “to test the University’s commitment to the issue of free speech,” Roesch said. He doubted that the only reason the original sale was shut down was because of a paperwork issue.

After this incident, Commerford said the rationale behind the decision to stop the event is consistent in both cases.

“When I closed the club’s prior event, I did so because their registration form was incorrectly filled out.

Right, Dean Commerford. Then he covers his politically correct butt:

However, upon reflection and review after taking that action, I concluded that even with a correctly completed registration form, the affirmative action bake sale was not a fundraising activity and is in violation of the University’s nondiscrimination policy,” Commerford said.

Bucknell is a private university, but students have free speech rights. Students ought to be allowed to demonstrate the unfairness and ridiculousness of race-based admissions, which I assume their school practices, by conducting race-based bake sales. One is offensive and the other isn’t?

Keep bucking the system, BUCC. As a black American turned totally off by government-sanctioned lowered preferences for blacks, I unequivocally side with you.

Is FIRE on top of this? Good.