Free Republic

Nothing so epitomizes the politically correct gullibility of our times as the magic word "diversity." The wonders of diversity are proclaimed from the media, extolled in the academy and confirmed in the august chambers of the Supreme Court of the United States. But have you ever seen one speck of hard evidence to support the lofty claims? Although diversity has become one of the leading buzzwords of our time, it has a history that goes back several generations. In the early twentieth century, the principle of geographic diversity was used to conceal bias against Jews in the admission of students...

Last week the Supreme Court of the United States voted that President Obama exceeded his authority when he granted exemptions from the immigration laws passed by Congress. But the Supreme Court also exceeded its own authority by granting the University of Texas an exemption from the Constitution's requirement of "equal protection of the laws," by voting that racial preferences for student admissions were legal. Supreme Court decisions in affirmative action cases are the longest running fraud since the 1896 decision upholding racial segregation laws in the Jim Crow South, on grounds that "separate but equal" facilities were consistent with the...

There are few more repugnant spectacles among the liberal elites of this country than the festival of smugness that follows any comment by a conservative public figure that can be twisted into a racial slight. This week it is Justice Antonin Scalia's turn. In an oral argument over affirmative action, Scalia said: "There are those who contend that it does not benefit African-Americans to -- to get them in the University of Texas where they do not do well, as opposed to having them go to a less advanced school, a less -- a slower track school where they do...

Supreme Court justices found themselves enmeshed in the thorny issue of affirmative action once again Wednesday, hearing a University of Texas case that could determine whether any race-based school admissions plans can pass muster under the court's evolving jurisprudence. For several decades, the court has flirted with the upper boundaries of affirmative action, but a majority has always shied away from delivering a final blow to racial preferences. The case heard Wednesday doesn't directly challenge preferences, but it does give justices an opportunity to make them all but unworkable. Affirmative action supporters walked away from the case fearing that was...

Justice Department takes affirmative action to crazy extremesYou don’t have to have a severe intellectual disability to work at the Justice Department. But it helps. According to a July 31 policy memo titled “Hiring of persons with targeted disabilities,” otherwise problematic mental deficiencies are no barrier to jump-starting a career at Justice. The memo lists a number of “targeted disabilities” that trigger special hiring privileges in compliance with President Obama’s Executive Order 13548. Among them are people with “severe intellectual disability,” “psychiatric disability” or other undefined “current severe physical, intellectual or mental conditions.” Most employers would balk at even minor...

Actually, he never says “some.” I’m adding that to give him the benefit of the doubt. Raw Story’s transcript of the exchange: STEELE: Education and the economy. Education and jobs. Education and small business. MARTIN: But your candidates got to talk to them. One of the criticisms I’ve always had is Republicans — white Republicans — have been scared of black folks. STEELE: You’re absolutely right. I mean I’ve been in the room and they’ve been scared of me. I’m like, “I’m on your side” and so I can imagine going out there and talking to someone like you, you...

I do pick on California a bit and quite frankly, I think they deserve it most of the time. It is a land that is mired in a social oxymoron. Millionaire elitist movie stars remonstrate causes celeb while extolling the virtues of almost socialistic issues to those who probably won’t amass a wealth equal to a year of their incomes. Elected officials spend their way into record deficits and then sit around Sacramento pointing fingers of blame at everyone but themselves. Birds get more protection than the homeless. Yes, there are many reasons I believe that we should seriously reconsider...

Affirmative Action Has Outstayed Its Welcome JAMIE LYNN PERNA 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...