Opinion: It's time for 'equal' to mean equal

CNN ^ | March 12, 2012 | Jennifer Gratz

[opentalk]

There is a short phrase, just four words, inscribed up above the main entryway into United States Supreme Court, "Equal Justice Under Law."

I took note of this inscription on April 1, 2003, when my case, Gratz v. Bollinger, and a companion case, Grutter v. Bollinger, were heard by the high court. My case challenged affirmative action policies in admissions at the University of Michigan's undergraduate school; Barb Grutter's challenged affirmative action policies at the law school. By the time my case was heard by the Supreme Court the University of Michigan admitted that their affirmative action policy gave a 20 point boost to blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans on an admissions rating scale.

...Just after the oral arguments, I stood on the steps of the court fielding questions from reporters and pointing up at that inscription, "Equal Justice Under Law." In the days between oral arguments and the decisions in the Gratz and Grutter cases, I hoped the words inscribed in the building - the words enshrined in our Constitution's 14th amendment - mattered. I hoped that the Court would find that diversity and other equally good intentions did not trump my right, or anyone's right, to be treated equally and without regard to skin color by public institutions.

The Supreme Court handed down its split-decision in the Michigan cases on June 23, 2003. I won my case against the University of Michigan, but because the court upheld race preferences at the law school, I believed there was little to celebrate. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor penned the 5-4 decision in Grutter, letting state-sanctioned racial discrimination continue for one reason only - to promote racial diversity on college campuses

[Red Badger]

Some pigs are more equal than others................

[opentalk]

our historic, first black president will fix it (sarc)

Derrick Bell article edited by Elena Kagan in college says U.S. Constitution is the “original sin”

[yldstrk]

It says born equal, that is when the race begins, someone comes in first, someone else comes in second.

[The Duke]

that is when the race begins...

Does that make you a "race-ist"? :O