College Student Opposes Affirmative Action; Vilified. Read/Respond: Fight the left on campus!

Racial equality is a hot topic these days on scales as large as the challenge to the University of Michigan's admissions policies to as small as The Spectrum's foray into the dating world.

As you can see from the picture above, I am an average white girl — nothing special, not hideous, but not a supermodel. I have brown eyes, brown hair and am nearly average height.

I applied to UB (and other colleges) during my senior year of high school, filled out the Federal Application for Student Aid and waited for an acceptance letter (and financial aid package) like my peers.

When the acceptance letters came, I knew they were based on my high school performance and the information on my application, and in some cases, the oh-so-important essay. They were not, however, based on the color of my eyes, hair or skin, as some of my friends' were.

Frustrated that someone who was my intellectual equal and belongs to a minority ethnic group was accepted to Cornell while I did not get into my top-choice college, I packed up and headed to UB.

Thankfully, the current uproar surrounding the race-based admissions policy at the University of Michigan has finally brought affirmative action, a policy that long ago became outdated and unfair, into question, forcing institutions of higher education to reevaluate their admissions criteria.

Though many organizations, colleges and companies have sided with the University of Michigan to preserve the policy, some have come out in agreement with the white students who filed the claim against the school. The 1978 Regents of the University of California versus Bakke case, in which Alan Bakke challenged the admissions policy of the Davis Medical School — which reserved 16 of 100 available seats for minorities — initiated the downfall of the affirmative action, but it did not make much progress.

Since that time, affirmative action has become unnecessary, and has turned into more of a reverse discrimination strategy than a helpful program. It is time for race and ethnicity to be celebrated and used as a learning tool instead of a crutch.

Originally viewed as compensation for slavery, according to an article in the Washington Post (Feb 11.), affirmative action is continually used as a guilt trip on middle-class white Americans.

While we can all agree that slavery was a detestable practice that we wish hadn't occurred, it did. It also ended — over one hundred years ago. Like other things that have ended — Japanese internment during World War II, inequality between men and women — slavery must be put behind us.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, proportionate numbers of black and white 3- and 4-year-old children were enrolled in nursery school in 1995, meaning that these toddlers started their academic careers on level ground. To claim that slavery has prohibited black children today from getting into college is ridiculous.

The businesses siding with U-Mich claim that affirmative action aids in "the development of citizens who are comfortable with diversity," which are "pragmatically necessary in a country that must make its way in a global economy," stated the Washington Post.

In reality, however, it is easier for companies like General Motors (siding with U-Mich) to stand behind a policy that will not label them as insensitive than to stand up against it as Texaco did in 1996. The gasoline company was victim to a boycott led by Jesse Jackson and settled a class action suit for $176 million for alleged insensitivity to minorities, according to the Washington Post. This time around, Texaco is siding with the university, proving that popularity and profits are more valuable than making a point through an unpopular stance.

The problem, however, runs deeper than affirmative action; it is a problem of racial equality and perceived differences between races. A policy that skews the playing field cannot be considered equitable.

Continuously, there are allegations that minorities are not (but should be) treated as equal to whites, making supporters of affirmative action hypocrites because they believe allowances should be given to minorities.

Instead of focusing on skin color, we should be looking at what people can offer the university community and the work force. Despite the controversy over affirmative action, I think a lot of people, particularly college students, have already come to that realization.

It seems to me — though I am sure there will be people who say I cannot possibly have a valid opinion on the subject — that race has, for the most part, ceased to be an issue. When The Spectrum began its Experiment in Romance series, contestants were selected based on who came into our office to fill out an application. It just so happened that only white students applied to be included in the contest. Were all students given an equal opportunity to apply? Yes. Several editors, including myself, posted fliers in the Student Union and the residence halls to attract students.

When the Buffalo News pointed out that all contestants were white, I couldn't help but get angry that race was brought into something that was purely a fun attempt at building readership. Why make a mountain out of a molehill? Did The Spectrum purposefully exclude UB's black community — 15 percent of the student population — from its contest? No.

I am not debating the fact that affirmative action and racial awareness was an imperative part of integrating colleges and promoting acceptance among races, which has only benefited those who have been exposed to cultures different from their own. But the need for admitting students into college based even partially on race has long passed. Instead of relying on race to further their careers, people should begin to depend on their merits.

I write this in response to (a column) appearing in the Feb. 19 issue of The Spectrum called "Affirmative Action Has Outstayed Its Welcome" by Jamie Lynn Perna.

I think Ms. Perna has over-simplified and over-generalized the debate regarding affirmative action. Ignoring facts regarding race issues in the United States does not make an effective opinion essay.

What she fails to mention is that inner-city schools, which are grossly under-funded, under-staffed and over-populated, are also predominantly attended by minorities — namely, blacks and Hispanics. The fact that an equal number of white and black kids started off nursery school at the same time has absolutely nothing to do with quality of education — the reason affirmative action is needed to give equal footing in higher education.

I urge Ms. Perna to pick up any local publication to see that Buffalo schools, already in dire straits, are now laying off even more teachers due to the recent cuts proposed by (Gov. George E.) Pataki. While we continue to whine about our tuition going up (and rightly so) these kids in city schools will not attain the quality education they deserve. This is the reason equal footing at the higher education level is needed.

I went to grade school in a Buffalo suburb, graduating in 1996 in a class of about 400. There were approximately five black students in my class. Like it or not, race issues in this country are a direct result from slavery. It has resulted in a racial divide between the city and the suburbs, disproportionate salaries, declining neighborhoods (the flee to the 'burbs) ... I could go on. It is not possible to write off the issue as "well, it happened a long time ago, and we're sorry." This is an ongoing issue that will not be corrected in the course of 100 years, and especially not by eliminating Affirmative Action.

As for the dating game played by The Spectrum, you didn't have any gays or lesbians either. But don't get me started there ...

I feel obliged to respond to your opinion piece, which ran on Feb. 19, titled "Affirmative Action Has Overstayed Its Welcome."

You begin the piece by relating your frustration over not getting into your "top-choice college" while your friend was accepted (into) Cornell University. Now, unless Cornell was your "top-choice college," I fail to see how you would make the connection that he/she was accepted based on minority status, while you were declined because you are white. Even if Cornell was your dream school you'd be left in the unfortunate position of defining "intellectual equal" to an arbitrary judge.

The fact of the matter is affirmative action has never been about any notion of "fairness." Affirmative action is about building power structures that contain people other than white males. Why would we want to do that?

Simply to make it as difficult as possible for groups of people to be dominated in an arbitrary fashion as they have been in the past. Perhaps there were minorities less qualified than you that were accepted to your dream school. Let's remember though that by and large qualification is a function of race and income.

I would take care when using the phrase "reverse discrimination." With the connotations of that phrase you are paralleling you not getting into a college with 400 years of systematic murder, oppression and terror.

When you say such a thing it leads me to believe that you have no idea what it's like to inherit such a legacy.

By the way, save "Like other things that have ended ... inequality between men and women ..." for the day you find out that you're making 85 cents on the dollar of your male peers.

Lastly, I must take exception to your quoting of the U.S. Census Bureau. I've read the report as well and I'd like to know why you only chose to mention black enrollment versus white enrollment. One phrase further and we notice a huge gap between white and Hispanic enrollment. What's more, you failed to mention that minorities were more likely (by an overwhelming margin) to enroll in public nursery schools than whites. Perhaps you didn't go to a public school, but on average they are substandard, especially when compared to private institutions. Where exactly is your level playing field?

Look at attrition rates for black and Hispanic teens (who also tend to be in public schools overwhelmingly). Do you think it's an anomaly that blacks have a rate that's one and a half times bigger than whites and Hispanics have a rate that's one and 4/5 times bigger? The only thing ridiculous is your use of statistics. Maybe you think that the job is done. Perhaps you think that without affirmative action minorities will continue to get opportunities in proportion to their societal numbers. Well, white America had on the order of 200 years to prove that was the case. The evidence shows that they couldn't get the job done.

I am writing in response to Jamie Lynn Perna's Feb. 19 column "Affirmative Action Has Overstayed its Welcome."

Affirmative action, contrary to Perna's erroneous information, was not created as "compensation for slavery," but to mitigate the negative effects of discrimination. In this respect it has been a tremendous success. Since 1965, black enrollment in colleges has increased from 4.9 percent to 11.3 percent, nearing their proportion in American society. Though slavery did end "over one hundred years ago," overt state-sponsored discrimination continued well into the 1960s.

Perna is fooling herself if she believes that racial discrimination no longer exists, or that she has not benefited from its effects. A recent study by the University of Chicago and MIT revealed that job applications with white-sounding names were 50 percent more likely to get callbacks than similar applications with black-sounding names. The Harvard Civil Rights Project recently reported that high schools are resegregating, approaching levels of inequity not seen since the 1960s. This is only the tip of the iceberg; racism still exists.

In an ideal world, we wouldn't need affirmative action. But in the real world, the childhood and educational experiences of whites and blacks are profoundly different. A white applicant with a 3.5 GPA is impressive, but a black applicant with the same grades achieved that distinction in spite of the effects of societal discrimination, and that deserves to be recognized. Perhaps someday we will no longer need affirmative action, but that day is clearly not upon us.

PLEASE help fight the left on our college campases. Please repond to the article with your opinion:

Where is the vilification here? I saw three weak attempts to counter her views (which was also weak and if that could get you into Cornell I'm going back to school) but I saw no vilification.

What she fails to mention is that inner-city schools, which are grossly under-funded, under-staffed and over-populated, are also predominantly attended by minorities — namely, blacks and Hispanics.

Conveniently omitted from this little argument is the fact that these lousy inner city schools are for the most part administered and staffed by leftists. Often minority leftists. Vouchers could go a long way to solve the problem. Parents want them but the powers that be, teachers and pols, don't.

"I saw three weak attempts to counter her views (which was also weak and if that could get you into Cornell I'm going back to school)..."

You can say that again. I certainly hope students at Cornell write better than this. Who knows anymore. My kid is a junior in high school, and from what you read it seems to get into an even half-way decent college one needs to be a super-genius. I don't know where these brilliant students are coming from, certainly not from the big-city public schools, whose students all need to be admitted via "afirmative action" because the teachers unions haven't taught them a darn thing in 12 years. Then you read something like these letters and I'm under-impressed by them to say the least. I really start to wonder if this whole higher ed. thing isn't some kind of giant con game.

Within 60 years, the only advocates for affirmative action will be the leftist white, and blacks. The Hispanics come to this country (legally and illegally) from poor educational standards and inability to speak English. However they remind me of the Italian immigrants of the late 1800's and early 1900's. Most Hispanics are willing to work hard and maintain strong family values. This forms the basis for economical empowerment. Economical empowerment will create a generation with the skills to go and compete in college. I think over time they will join the Asians and Whites being told they can not attend certain schools, because too many of them are successful. When that day comes, what will the blacks in this country do? Affirmative action will die, if not today it will in the not too far future. Sixty years is a short time in the context of history.

"Perna is fooling herself if she believes that racial discrimination no longer exists, or that she has not benefited from its effects."

Apparently she knows first-hand that it exists, and may have personally been victimized by it. Why is it only "racial discrimination" if it's used against the "wrong" people?

William Winnie states "I would take care when using the phrase "reverse discrimination." With the connotations of that phrase you are paralleling you not getting into a college with 400 years of systematic murder, oppression and terror." I wonder if he would be so quick to dismiss this term if it were the blacks who were being denied admission due to their race? Discrimination by public institutions is wrong, reverse or otherwise.

"Within 60 years, the only advocates for affirmative action will be the leftist white, and blacks."

Not all blacks support this form of blatant discrimination. Many intelligent, hard-working blacks are insulted by the implication that they are not capable of accomplishing what their white counterparts can.

I'm reluctant to give out her personal email address, even though it's easily findable - she is, however, one the managing editors of the paper, according to its website, so email sent to spectrum-me@buffalo.edu should find its way to her...

How does she know that she was not accepted for 'race' reasons? What are her grades like? Unless I can see proof that she was rejected because she was white, I am skeptical. Someone could be bitter about not getting in.

At any rate, how about NOT asking racial class anyway? Last time I checked, filling out racial identity is OPTIONAL. You do not have to fill out. It's none of the college's business.

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