Posted on 08/06/2003 2:18:12 AM PDT by familyop
For distribution:
Already, numerous articles are coming out of the mainstream press concerning CA's Proposition 54 -- The Racial Privacy Initiative (Classification by Race, Ethnicity or National Origin Initiative) to be voted upon at/whenever the "recall" vote is scheduled. Currently, this vote is scheduled for October 7, 2003. The following article appears at the RPI website, and is authored by Ward Connerly, Chairman of the RPI. Opponents to the RPI are using "any means possible" to delay this vote.
Opponents are collectively lying about this initiative. Most particularly with regards to "medical matters" for minorities. Section (f) of Proposition 54 specifically permits the collection of race-based data related to health care. It states, "Otherwise lawful classifications of medical research subjects and patients shall be exempt from this section." Furthermore, federal statutes remain intact.
Note also below, about the RPI:
"Any unforeseen area that needs exemption, and for which there is a compelling public interest, could be so exempted by a simple two-thirds vote of both houses of the California Legislature and the consent of the governor.
Certain Democrats in CA were recently heard aloud working hard to "stall the budget resolution crisis", and particularly in order to push forward with their plan in near term to abolish the 2/3rds vote practice. See "Squawk Boxes on in CA". :)
One of the largest organs (yes, besides mainstream media) to promote the Democratic Party Lies and Lines has been through our college and university systems. Clearly, the October 7th date will catch campus activists short on time. Despite all the lawsuits to delay this vote. Despite the latest dem hack to promote 1000 candidates on the ballot in order to forestall this vote; my own suspicions from reading the law and commentary upon our "recall" laws -- the October 7th date will more than likely stand as is. My own opinion here. What is more important, however, is that you know when you are being lied to and about what. Knowing these things will help you understand the "why" of the lies. And to stand up against these lies when they are shouted in your face, and arrive in your email and post boxes.
The independent state Legislative Analyst has determined that RPI will save the state at least $10 million.
I read an article today rhetorically arguing that the RPI is merely a "symbolic" initiative, with no real or actual savings to the state. I couldn't disagree with this assessment more. On its face, the state will save $10 million; however, think a bit more, and you'll see that there's so much not accounted for in these savings. How about attitudes towards each other? How about seeing how many minority children stop getting shunted off into special "programs" that put paychecks into the hands of racialists; but do not benefit these children at all. How about all the lies about "ethnicity" people have been resorting to in order to GET into colleges. How about halting the ability of politicans to continue to use "state" stats in order to know which "group" to pass laws for in exchange for money and/or votes? Now, mentally go along these lines and see how many jobs involve wasted forms, collectors, and time -- collecting racial data. And using it for what? For whose gain? How tiresome it is, this attitude that rears its ugly head out here in CA that "whites are naturally predisposed to getting jobs, or admissions" and "that minority didn't earn that job -- they were "actioned" for it.
(And how does Johnny Cochran earn his money, right?)
I hope you will join me today in fighting the lies against this initiative, and promoting it. Through talk radio, cyber, letters to editors in newspapers. Whenever this vote will be held, I have no doubts the RPI can stand on its own, solidly but, we need your help in combatting the lies that are being and will be told about this initiative.
As went 209, so went the nation. Proposition 54 begins in California.
Sincerely, and thank you,
Pamela Kelly California
http://www.racialprivacy.org/miscellaneous.htm
*By Ward Connerly, Chairman, RPI campaign
*The ballot initiative known as the “Racial Privacy Initiative” (RPI), which will appear before California voters in the next statewide election, is a subject of debate for many informed Californians, as it should be. The most salient clause of the initiative reads: “The state shall not classify any individual by race, ethnicity, color or national origin in the operation of public education, public contracting or public employment.”
That sentence makes clear the initiative’s goal: to take state government out of the racial classification business, thus moving us one step closer to a color-blind government.
We, the proponents of RPI, seek a California that is free from government racism and race-conscious decision making. As John F. Kennedy said, “Race has no place in American life or law.” This belief is ever more critical today in view of the rapidly changing ethnic demographics of California—the most diverse state in the Union. The simplistic notion that a transaction between persons of different races must always be a “zero-sum game,” and if one race is up another must be down, is outdated and false. It is morally wrong for government to accept and practice that belief by treating its citizens differently on account of race or skin color.
Furthermore, the very concept of dividing persons by race, born in an era of slavery and nurtured by archaic, racialist Jim Crow policies, cannot withstand logical scrutiny. As our population blends and the lines of race become blurred, eventually the racial categories that many consider “fixed” will collapse of their own weight.
We recognize the need to move towards the future in a moderate fashion, however, and therefore have included several exemptions in the language. For example, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing is exempt for 10 years. Police and correctional officers may use racial classifications in the interest of public safety. Any classifications necessary for federal funds are exempt. Any unforeseen area that needs exemption, and for which there is a compelling public interest, could be so exempted by a simple two-thirds vote of both houses of the California Legislature and the consent of the governor. Over 65 percent of the bills that passed the Legislature last year received over a two-thirds majority. Therefore, this is not an unreasonable requirement if the need is compelling.
And finally, in the interest of public health, we have exempted ALL racial categorizations made by health care and medical professionals. Clause (f) of the initiative reads, “Otherwise lawful classification of medical research subjects and patients shall be exempt from this section.” No person’s health care, or any epidemiological studies that reveal disease patterns, will be affected by RPI.
Some will object to RPI because of a mistaken belief that RPI will eliminate some vast body of “data,” without which California will be plunged into some sort of scientific Dark Ages due to a lack of information. The truth is that because of the medical and other exemptions—not to mention the vast gathering of data by the federal government, most notably the U.S. Census, which would remain untouched—any truly scientific research that requires racial classification data can easily continue. But RPI is about a lot more than mere “data”—much of the racial classification process and the classifications themselves are so arbitrary that the data can hardly be scientific anyway. No, what RPI is really about is freeing Californians’ hearts and minds from the rigid boxes of race. The path of race-conscious decision making that this country has traversed for the last 30 years has simply not improved race relations or unity in America, and we think it’s time to try a new approach in hopes of getting better results.
Take public education. For a generation, education administrators have obsessively focused on the race of every one of its applicants and the racial makeup of every incoming class. It has tailored its message, attention and curriculum based on race and the mantra of diversity. There is no end in sight. And yet, the academic gap between so-called “under-represented minorities” and other students continues to widen. Think if you ran a business this way. Would you continue to use a business plan that had failed to produce results for over 30 years? Not only has the race-conscious paradigm failed, but by focusing too much on race, we instill in students the notion that “under-represented minorities” can’t help but underachieve.
By removing race from the equation we will force our state government to look at actual people and solve real problems, rather than rely on the proxy of race. The feeble quality of education in many schools, particularly those in low-income areas, is indeed a serious concern. But why do educators need to know the race of a fourth-grader who can’t read in order to know that the child must be taught to read? The real answer is that it is easier for state bureaucrats to push papers and collect data than to do the heavy lifting required to fix public education, solve our state budget crisis and mend so many other problems California faces. With so much work necessary to launch our state back onto the path of greatness, the best our elected officials in Sacramento can say is “give us more race data.” That’s criminal. The independent state Legislative Analyst has determined that RPI will save the state at least $10 million. That’s money that can be spent on education, solving our budget crisis, keeping taxes down—a million things more important than race checkboxes.
The California Constitution forbids state government from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to any citizen based on race. Therefore, since government has no reason to classify persons by race, why should it even ask us for the data? Like religion, marital status or sexual orientation, race should become a private matter that is no business of government’s. Think how refreshing it would be to throw out the entire system of checking little boxes.
As the most ethnically diverse state in the Union, California has the most to gain by compelling its government to treat all citizens equally and without regard to race. The latest U.S. Census divides Americans into a whopping 126 different ethnic/racial categories. How many categories should Californians put up with?
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