Shirley Sherrod said: “It is not about race, it is about the haves and the have nots.”
A lot of people have said: “Why should the daughter of a wealthy black couple have a legislated advantage over the son of a poor white couple?
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts has said: "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race."
Attorney General Holder has urged us toward a national conversation about race.
Perhaps the following questions should be in that conversation.
Regardless of its original value, are we committed to the eventual end of racial affirmative action?
Is it time to replace racial affirmative action with poverty affirmative action?
A lot of people have said: “Why should the daughter of a wealthy black couple have a legislated advantage over the son of a poor white couple?
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts has said: "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race."
Attorney General Holder has urged us toward a national conversation about race.
Perhaps the following questions should be in that conversation.
Regardless of its original value, are we committed to the eventual end of racial affirmative action?
Is it time to replace racial affirmative action with poverty affirmative action?
To the last point about poverty affirmative action. We have already had a "war on poverty" and we lost. I will give Bill C credit for cleaning up a significant amount of the welfare mess from the "war".
ReplyDeleteWhat I mean by poverty affirmative action is that if we decide that we need to give anyone an advantage in admissions-applications it should be given to those who have endured economic disadvantage. I did not mean to advocate a new war on poverty.
ReplyDeleteMy enthusiasm for equal opportunity, for all, is exceeded by my dislike of legislated favoritism for some.
ReplyDelete