Do Blacks Need Favors?

Capitalism Magazine ^ | July 22, 2014 | By Walter Williams

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Earlier this month, the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act was celebrated. During the act’s legislative debate, then-Sen. Hubert Humphrey, responding to predictions, promised, “I’ll eat my hat if this leads to racial quotas.” I don’t know whether Humphrey got around to keeping his promise, but here’s my question: Is it within the capacity of black Americans to make it in this society without the special favors variously called racial preferences, quotas, affirmative action and race-sensitive policies? What might a “yes” answer to that question assume and imply about blacks? Likewise, what would a “no” answer assume and imply? Let’s look at it.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Good read.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Racial quotas are a perfect example of politics concealing reality. We have now had extensive experience with “minority” governance all over the world and as expected such governance has been a disaster.

[Da Coyote]

Years ago when I was a jet instructor pilot in the USAF, we had a large contingent of African Americans enter flight training during the first period of “quotas” - don’t fool yourselves, quotas were very much there.

Approximately three quarters into the training year, a couple of the AAs approached me with a complaint...which was that they perceived a number of their classmates were obviously not qualified for this type of duty, but they were not failing, as we did to the Caucasians. They felt that this reflected badly on them, since poor performance when flying a supersonic machine is quite a bit more obvious than it is when one can be a politician.

I replied to them that they were indeed correct, but not to worry. We instructors knew the good ones of all flavors...and those good ones would be the ones that got the planes of their choice. And the two that approached me were indeed some of the good ones.

Conclusion: Ability is not a function of race, but quotas are a function of idiots.

[blackdog]

Where I work, certain demographic workers can sleep on the job, hit and destroy facility structures with forklifts, wear offensive clothing with foul language or graphics, wear chains, jewelry, or piercings(which is prohibited), etc......They are not to be drug tested(even post injury incidents), and are all covered by an FMLA document so they can leave work whenever they want.

Now if you are of another demographic.........Every rule is applied and with open view public enforcement.

It's to "keep the peace" as I've been told.

[wally_bert]

I worked in a very similar place that I quit twice.

[kearnyirish2]

“they perceived a number of their classmates were obviously not qualified for this type of duty, but they were not failing, as we did to the Caucasians. They felt that this reflected badly on them, since poor performance when flying a supersonic machine is quite a bit more obvious than it is when one can be a politician.”

I had a Marine tell me the same thing; black marines hated affirmative action because in their line of work people would die because of it.

[kearnyirish2]

“Now if you are of another demographic...Every rule is applied and with open view public enforcement.”

To me that screams of a government policy acknowledging racial inferiority.

[dfwgator]

, then-Sen. Hubert Humphrey, responding to predictions, promised, “I’ll eat my hat if this leads to racial quotas.”

Bon appetit!

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Go back to Medieval times for analogous treatment of certain groups. At least in Medieval times the recipients of such privileges were in many instances naturally based upon the structured “Orders.” The current crop of “The Privileged” do not even belong to our society.

[mjp]

Is it within the capacity of black Americans to make it in this society without the special favors

The answer to this depends on philosophic ideas that determine people's conception of the position of the human individual in relation to the world in which he lives.So long as blacks are viewed by libtards as fundamentally helpless, with his destiny controlled by forces beyond his power to change, it will be next to impossible to eliminate the welfare state.Libtards will cling to it out of a sense of helplessness.

Elimination of the welfare state and the establishment of limited government presupposes a view of blacks as self-responsible causal agents, capable of securing their own well being by means of reason and intelligent rational action.

[Parmy]

Some years ago I was interviewed for a state job. I had scored quite high on the required test. At the end of the interview, I was told that I had done very well, but preference had to give to a woman who was a minority who also was interviewed for the job.

About a month later I go a call from the supervisor who said that the job was again open, and she wondered if I was still looking for work.

I said I was and she said she wanted to talk to me. I asked if I had the job.

She said that I would have to interview again.

I stated they had already interview me and said that I was very well qualified. And, I stated that I wasn't going to be their token 'white guy' just so they could say the interview process was fair, etc.

I told her that she could take her job and shove it.

I moved on and did quite well elsewhere.

[dalebert]

That is how we arrived at where we are today. Everyone is supposed to honor the quota system except blacks. They practice the blacks only system.We will never get control of government agencies again.

[rdb3]

NO!

[NorthMountain]

Is it within the capacity of black Americans to make it in this society without the special favors variously called racial preferences, quotas, affirmative action and race-sensitive policies?

The likes of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Barack Obama, the Congressional Black Caucus, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the United Negro College Fund clearly think not. These people seem absolutely CONVINCED that 'black people' can 'succeed' if and only if they are given special set asides in business and wads of other peoples' money (taken at gunpoint).

[bigtoona]

If I were black I would be angry with affirmative action because in almost any job, my peers would assume that I got a free ride or a leg up on everyone else rather than my own hard work and merit.

How sad that a whole population of people has accepted the liberal assumption that they are too stupid or incapable of doing anything without constant assistance from democrat plantation masters and government welfare.

[Jay Redhawk]

One of the sad facts in higher education is that minority education is largely directed by blacks with an affirmative action doctorate in education. These are some of the most incompetent and ignorant people on Earth; yet, white college administrators hang on to their every word. I am really looking forward to an early retirement. If America is counting on education to save, or maintain it as a great nation, it should just forget about it.

I should add that I know black professors in many fields other than education and they are quite capable and competent. Unfortunately, they are not anymore listened to than a white professor when it comes to education policy. Policy is directed by the administrators, and they all tend to have that D.Ed. or E.Ed. after their name.

[Night Hides Not]

Conclusion: Ability is not a function of race, but quotas are a function of idiots.

Just damn...I thought that should have been put to rest by the Tuskegee Airmen.

[GOPJ]

Racial preferences in college admissions give elementary schools, middle schools and high schools a free hand to continue their destructive educational policy. If colleges did not have special admissions practices for black students, there would be far fewer blacks in colleges, and the fraud would be more apparent to parents. They might begin to ask why so many blacks with high-school diplomas could not get into college.

The other problem with 'racial preferences' is top schools - the Ivies - get the very brightest blacks... more than their share.

Each school down the list takes blacks who are somewhat less competitive than the white students. This creates a situation where blacks are usually competing with whites with higher SAT scores - a situation demoralizing and unfair. Read David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Gladwell to get the whole picture...

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Start with co-workers-very very carefully-and family and neighbors. Point the discrimination out. Preferences granted such people is unnatural and if resisted is bound to fail. American group cohesion has been badly damaged and a co-worker can use any unguarded remarks against you for personal gain. Hence, be very very careful, as wise as an owl and subtle as a serpent.

[TexasCajun]

The latest college "Favor", Grading Equity.

AN AMAZING DIVERSITY PLAN AT MADISON

Professor Hansen writes: “Professors, instead of just awarding the grade that each student earns, would apparently have to adjust them so that academically weaker, ‘underrepresented racial/ethnic’ students perform at the same level and receive the same grades as academically stronger students.