Ten Reasons Why Affirmative Action Died

American Greatness ^ | 12 Jul, 2023 | Victor Davis Hanson

[MtnClimber]

The end of affirmative action was inevitable. The only surprise was that such intentions gone terribly wrong lasted so long.

First, supporters of racial preferences always pushed back the goal posts for the program’s success. Was institutionalized reverse bias to last 20 years, 60 years, or ad infinitum? Parity became defined as an absolute equality of result. If “equity” was not obtained, then only institutionalized “racism” explained disparities. And only reverse racism was deemed the cure.

Second, affirmative action was imposed on the back end in adult hiring and college admissions. However, to achieve parity, remediation early at the K-12 school level would have been the only solution. Yet such intervention was made impossible by teachers’ unions, the rise of identity politics and government entitlements. All were opposed to school choice, self-help programs, critiques of cultural impediments, or restrictions on those blanket entitlements,

Third, class, the true barometer of privilege, was rendered meaningless. Surrealism followed. The truly privileged Barack and Michelle Obama and Meghan Markel lectured the country on its unfairness—as if they had it far rougher than the impoverished “deplorables” of East Palestine, Ohio.

Fourth, affirmative action supporters could never square the circle of proving that racial prejudices didn’t violate the spirt of the Declaration of Independence and the text of the Constitution. What they were left with was the lame argument that because long ago the 90% white majority had violated their own foundational documents, then such past bad unconstitutional bias could legitimately be rectified by present-day “good” unconstitutional bias.

Fifth, supporters never adequately explained why the sins of prior generations fell on their descendants who grew up in the post-Civil Rights era. Nor could they account for why those who had never experienced institutionalized racism, much less Jim Crow apartheid or slavery, were to be compensated collectively

[MtnClimber]

VDH ping

[FLT-bird]

I hate the term “reverse racism”. No. Its simply racism.

Nobody holds a monopoly on being the perpetrators or the victims of discrimination.

[marktwain]

The only regret seemed to be "Why not sooner?"

Because Democratic Party power depends on doling out money and privilege through political controls.

[Brian Griffin]

Dear Minority Member:

The university has a limited number of places so it is best to apply as soon as possible after annual applications are being accepted. This year’s opening date is...

Colored Alumni Association

[Alberta's Child]

I’m convinced that affirmative action was only overturned because some of the key players in the most recent challenges were Asians, not whites.

[chajin]

Yet if blacks were “underrepresented” in baseball, then reparatory measures were supposed to address that fact—even if Latino players were “overrepresented” and whites “underrepresented as well.

Depends on what you mean by black. The almost-winner in this week's Home Run Derby, Randy Arozarena, is as black as Torii Hunter, but he's Afro-Cuban and Spanish exits his mouth when he opens it.

And Hunter spent much of his high-level baseball career attempting to renew interest in baseball in American black communities, largely without success. I would bet today's salary that you couldn't find more than two black teens in a hundred who know who Hank Aaron was, much less Willie Mays, Satchel Paige, or Jackie Robinson.

P.S. I knew a number of torii hunters in Japan, though today you can find any Shinto shrine using Google Maps.

[Tell It Right]

I’m convinced that affirmative action was only overturned because some of the key players in the most recent challenges were Asians, not whites.

I'm convinced Justice Thomas is deeply respected in the eyes of the other conservative SCOTUS justices. They won't agree with him every time. But at the same time he probably has a lot of clout during their deliberations.

[Brian Griffin]

Dear Minority Member:

We understand that sometimes people don’t test well. Therefore, the university has developed a written essay admissions program. Please follow all essay rules, which we have enclosed, and remember to mark your submission envelope as follows:

Attn: Kendra Black, Essay Admissions Specialist

This is very important as 30% of admissions will be by essay means and Kendra is fast-working gal.

Colored Alumni Outreach Project

[BitWielder1]

Because 60 years of exaggerating differences that doesn't matter and ignoring differences that does matter had to wear out eventually.
Even the beneficiaries of affirmative action can see it.

[motor_racer]

Eleventh: Race pimping has become a huge business, creating massive political donations, and blackmail (!) revenue for the race pimps.

[dfwgator]

At one time AA made sense. But at most it should have only been in place for one generation, no more.

[Nifty]

I got into an argument with someone about Tiger Woods. Without explaining the setting or how this blew up, I commented that Tiger wasn’t black. She disagreed, then I asked why would Tiger not be considered Tai? His mom is Tai. Things went downhill from there.

Then I pointed out that the only way people are claiming Tiger to be black is the way they see him. And that in itself is wrong IF everyone should be viewed as equal. The very people who are screaming for equality are themselves labeling people and grouping them, so technically, they are not looking at everyone the same.

[Da Coyote]

Methinks affirmative action is very much alive. We must always keep in mind that the only standard for the left is a double one. They will keep up their slime until they fear for their sordid, perverted, and quite slimy lives. That has not happened.

Yet.

[Brian Griffin]

The Esteemed Law School has noted an alarming increase in crime in urban areas.

Therefore it will increase the admitted percentage of applicants wishing to become criminal defense lawyers by 100%.

When applying to the Law School, please carefully demonstrate in your application essay your willingness and motivation to zealously defend people accused of committing crimes.

My cousin is in the penitentiary for ten years and my younger brother is in for five years.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

--- "Why Affirmative Action Died"

Enough people figured out it was overt racism. Skin color has a value, according to something or the other. Democrats. KKK.

[Jewbacca]

That was by plan of the plaintiffs, yes.

It eliminated a host of spurious arguments.

When I was at MIT, there was a formula you had to have to get your essays read. You had to beat some number. (I worked in admissions as a student.)

It was something akin to (X)(Y%)(SAT)+ (Z%(GPA)) > threshold number.

If you were varsity sports (and not recruited, which was a different process) there would be an addition of a couple hundred points, which also tended to screw observant Jews since so many sports are on Shabbos.

If you were white, X was 1.

If you were black X was 1.3

Hispanic (with Hispanic surname for some reason) X was 1.2

If you had a Jewish surname or were otherwise obviously Jewish or were Asian X was .8.

Used to piss me off beyond belief.

But, hey working in admin was $20 an hour back when that was real money.

[Brian Griffin]

Tiger’s father is ‘black’ and according to a broadcast I watched decades ago before Tiger won a major tournament, the father worked to develop Tiger’s golfing skills.

Tiger and Obama both had ‘black’ fathers. Tiger’s mom was Thai and Obama’s Caucasian.

[sauropod]

.

[Pearls Before Swine]

I disagree with the great VDH’s premise that Affirmative Action has died.

Has anyone here been told, or know/heard of anyone who has been told, “No color, no problem?”