From Bad to Diverse - The Supreme Court debates whether the 14th Amendment means what it says

WSJ ^ | April 4, 2003 | PETE DU PONT

[Jhoffa_]

Watch what happens if they toss out preferences.

They will then attempt to use demographic data, like income or geography as a criteria to acheive the same ends.

[Nevermore]

They will then attempt to use demographic data, like income or geography as a criteria to acheive the same ends.

That's fine. It still may not seem "fair", but it's legal. After all, there are plenty of po' white folks, too.

Bottom line is, if these institutions want to be able to pursue social experiments (like racial quotas) unfettered, they should do the honorable thing and completely cut their strings to the federal purse.

[Skywalk]

Actually, with most affirmative action policies at universities, whites AND Asians(both Indian and what we think of as Asian Pacific) are discriminated against.

Essentially the preferred groups are Black, Hispanic(though it seems not white Hispanics lol) and Amerindian.

[Teacher317]

True. I meant to refer to every "protected class" that the courts currently recognize, not just for university admissions.

Not surprisingly, lower and middle class white males are now far underrepresented as a group in universities nation-wide and nobody seems to notice, care, or want them.

[demosthenes the elder]

Straight
White
Able
Male
Patriot

S.W.A.M.P.

[LibertarianInExile]

Oh, I know it's LEGAL. That doesn't mean it's right. See 'Dred Scott,' et. al. It's okay to discriminate against people because of their income. Is that 'equal protection under law?'

Because my parents work for a living I don't deserve to get in? Because my single mom isn't on welfare, I don't get in? Because Dad gets disability, Junior goes to Michigan while his cousin Ed, the garbageman's kid, only gets into JuCo? What if, as long as we're at it, Bennington or Harvard goes the other way and decides only rich snotballs get in? If we can legally give 'em extra credit one way, should work both.

How about we take this stupid social engineering out of the equation? If you deserve to get in, you get in. Apply for a student loan afterward if you need it, but admissions should be need-blind and merit-only.

[bdeaner]

They will then attempt to use demographic data, like income or geography as a criteria to acheive the same ends.

Undoubtably, they will. But in that case, they will not be violating the Constitution of the United States. Right now, a person of the same income and from the same geographical location would be discriminated upon based solely on their race. A poor white kid from a bad neighborhood gets rejected, but the same kid gets accepted if he's black. That's unreasonable.

The answer is as GWB put forth -- affirmative access. That's the compassionate conservative answer to the racism of University of Michigan.

[Teacher317]

SWAMP rat, that's me!

[Tailgunner Joe]

Yes, the socialist mask is being torn from Affirmative Action.

[CholeraJoe]

whether the Asian population at Harvard would have to be held to the 3.6% of the population Asians represent.

Perhaps we should insist that the NBA be limited to 12% blacks in proportion.