Posted on 09/05/2006 12:00:42 PM PDT by Alex1977
DETROIT - A ballot measure that would scrap many of Michigan's affirmative action programs is running about even in a new poll published Monday, with 41 percent of likely voters saying they would approve it and 43 percent opposed.
Sixteen percent had yet to decide how they would vote on the Nov. 7 ballot proposal, called the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative.
Michigan took a prominent role in the national debate over affirmative action in 2003, when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld general affirmative action admissions policy at the University of Michigan Law School but struck down the university's undergraduate affirmative action formula as too rigid because it awarded points based on race.
One of the plaintiffs in the undergraduate admissions lawsuit was Jennifer Gratz, who now serves as executive director of the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative.
The ballot proposal, if approved, would amend the state Constitution to ban affirmative action programs that give preferential treatment for public employment, education or contracts based on race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin.
Opponents argue the proposal would eliminate programs designed to help women and minorities. They include local chapters of the ACLU, NAACP, National Organization for Women, Triangle Foundation, United Auto Workers and several religious and university groups, among others.
Monday's poll of 803 likely voters was conducted last week for the Detroit Free Press and WDIV-TV by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, Iowa. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Last week, a federal judge in Detroit dismissed a lawsuit seeking to have the proposal barred from the ballot because of alleged fraud in the collection of petition signatures. The group By Any Means Necessary, which opposes the initiative, said it will appeal.
Affirmative Action is supposed to be a program designed to end racism, but isn't it really justifying racism by it's own actions. Its policies totally judge people solely on skin color and gender. That is discrimination in itself. Is discrimination the solution to resolving past discrimination? No, it's not. No program can be considered good when it hurts others. Affirmative Action tried to help minorities and women, but in the process, reverse discrimination has taken place. Now, white males are discriminated against. This can not be an affirmative program if there is a form of discrimination involved. Instead of choosing a candidate for a job or for school admission, because of one's color or gender, it should be because of their talents and abilities. The best any colored male or female should be selected for the job, or to get accepted into school. Why should some people get special preferences over others? It just isn't correct. There should be no special treatments, and no special preferences given to people. Everyone has the opportunity to advance in this country, you just have to take the initiative.
Plain and simply put, affirmative action, except in the very rare case of proven, intentional, and systemic racism.... IS RACISM of the very worst kind.
It attempts to equalize the outcomes between those who CAN but WON'T, and those who CAN and DO.
Minorities of every stripe who have worked their way to success should be humiliated by these racial quota programs, because it serves only to discredit their efforts.
why do I have the feeling the added turnout will help Granholm?
I'm hoping it will do the opposite.
*******Minorities of every stripe who have worked their way to success should be humiliated by these racial quota programs, because it serves only to discredit their efforts.
I am baffled why those polled are slightly against this initiative. This should be at least 60-40 in favor even given biased polling. Maybe the undecided are silently in favor, one can only hope.
The way to defeat Granholm is to have federal voter monitors in Detroit and Wayne county. Voter fraud there is open. Can't seem to get the MSM interested though. It always seems to be ok when the fraud works to elect Defeatocrats.
Most blacks are nowheres near being humiliated by affirmative Action, its the only thing keeping them working since they havent near been able to raise themselves up to compete on an equal footing.
BS
C'mon Michiganders... don't get bested by Califonria! You can do it!
Racial Preferences categorizes people by race. That is racist. If you are against racism, you need to be for the Civil Rights Initiative. It's that simple:
"The ballot proposal, if approved, would amend the state Constitution to ban affirmative action programs that give preferential treatment for public employment, education or contracts based on race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin. "
Sounds fair.
This should be a no brainer 80/20 type of issue.
I hope the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative does not fail by 1% while simultaneously increasing turnout among black voters to historic levels, thereby keeping Granholm and Stabenow in office.
I guess it is BS. Thats why we are still lowering standards to keep hiring Affirmative Action.
If you really think its BS then you have to agree its time it stopped.
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