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No Time for Colorblindness (Why We Need Affirmative Action)
Washington Post ^ | Sunday, December 15, 2002; Page B07 | Mary Sue Coleman

Posted on 12/15/2002 5:16:59 AM PST by shrinkermd

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To: wildwood
In Vet school minorities actually get "different" exams than the main body of students...
as well as "extra" help...
It's too bad in a way...because when I look for medical care for my family I cant help but wonder about substandard care from those who should never have been accepted into medical school in the first place.
21 posted on 12/15/2002 7:04:58 AM PST by joesnuffy
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To: Teacher317
If diversity is such a great strength, why is it that the most uniformly populated nations in the world have the least civil unrest? I don't recall hearing about Norway's race riots, Switzerland's religious purges, or Uganda's equal rights protests being violently quelled. If, as the liberals chant, we only want peace, wouldn't it be wiser to NOT encourage diversity?
22 posted on 12/15/2002 7:05:17 AM PST by Teacher317
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To: joesnuffy
I think I just insulted my family ...not that we look for vets to treat family members...well ok in some cases it would be appropo :)
23 posted on 12/15/2002 7:06:29 AM PST by joesnuffy
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To: shrinkermd
The educational environment we enjoy does not just happen. It comes in part from well-considered admissions practices designed to foster an atmosphere in which old habits of thought are challenged and new questions continually come at us, forcing us to reexamine what we thought we knew well.More than 50 years of changes in higher education have taught us that the more diverse the academic environment, the more vigorous its discussions.

Bull poop!

Who cares how "vigorous" the "discussions" are. This is just more liberal gobbelty-gook-double-speak-pablum. What matters is the quality of education the students receive. What "challenges" do students with inferior qualifications bring? Answer: none - thanks to Affirmative Actions and the theory of Disparate Impact, they only dumb down the standards. High standards are what drive students to a higher level, not "diversity" or "vigorous discussions".

24 posted on 12/15/2002 7:16:40 AM PST by Sir_Humphrey
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Comment #25 Removed by Moderator

To: shrinkermd
"The court, long at the forefront of battles over issues of race facing our society, now has an opportunity to reaffirm its long-standing support for integrated learning environments that provide educational benefits for all students."

I got to admitt I stopped reading right here after this straw man statement. No one is trying to deny the existence of integrated schools by challenging affirmative action. It would be more accurate to say that students would be better matched to colleges that teach to their level.

26 posted on 12/15/2002 7:25:15 AM PST by SKI NOW
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To: shrinkermd
At some point, our society must cease to take note, officially or unofficially, of race. No box to check on the census form, no recording of SAT scores or crime statistics or welfare receipts by race.

Just stop it.

Once government stops obsessing over race, maybe society at large will follow. The Federal Government shouldn't know what percentage of House District 3 in Arizona is "Native American"; how many Oriental students attend San Diego State University; how many black coaches there are in the NFL; or how many "non-black Latinos" are eligible for reduced-price lunches in the Richmond Public School System.

Just stop it.

Race-based policy is getting tougher to administer all the time. Should Koreans be given the same preferences as blacks in college admissions? If so, why not Indians (from India)? What about first-generation Swedes, who, while having the misfortune of being blond, may have the "advantage" of having English as a second language?

And what to do about those of mixed ethnicity? Where do you draw the line? In some Southern states, you used to be (and may still be, for all I know) considered black if you were an octoroon (that is, one great-grandparent was black). But what if great-granddad was himself only 7/8 black? That would make you just 7/64 black; would you then have to compete for a place in a state-operated law school just like "white folks"? What if you were able to prove that via another branch of your family that in addition to being 7/64 black, you were also 1/64 Sioux, or Aleut, or Puerto Rican? If you get your ethnic shopping cart back up to 1/8 full, do you get the bonus points you need on your application?

Just stop it.

What if you're black and successful? Should you still be given advantages? Ask Harvey Gantt, who served as Mayor of Charlotte, and who twice ran for the Senate. Harvey, who is black, was and is a talented architect, and is principal of a successful firm. He used his race to acquire a large interest in a television broadcasting license which had been set aside for "minorities." Did the new "black TV station" benefit the black community at large? Don't be silly. Harvey's group immediately flipped it to a white group and pocketed a handsome profit; the station now shows Seinfeld reruns and old (white) movies.

As long as we keep affirmative action in place, we'll perpetuate racism by casting a pall of suspicion on those we purport to benefit. That black guy with the Michigan Law School diploma -- would he have gotten in if not for his race? And more seriously, what about that black neurosurgeon with the MD from North Carolina -- is he really qualified to be in the operating room? As long as preferential admissions (and promotion) standards exist, we'll never know.

Just stop it.

27 posted on 12/15/2002 7:28:14 AM PST by southernnorthcarolina
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To: Teacher317
If diversity is such a great strength, why is it that the most uniformly populated nations in the world have the least civil unrest?

This is an excellent point. I do not have an answer, but the United States was, at one time, the only place on earth where different religions and cultures did not find a compelling need to slaughter each other. I suppose that was when we were truly a free country - free of the diversity coercion.

28 posted on 12/15/2002 7:48:53 AM PST by bimbo
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To: Teacher317
why is it that the most uniformly populated nations in the world have the least civil unrest?

Mostly they go out and declare war on their neighbors like ireland/england, france/england ,germany/france , china/japan, too many nations in africa to mention, north/south vietnam and korea.

29 posted on 12/15/2002 10:29:44 AM PST by staytrue
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To: shrinkermd
I think it is a great idea. With one modification.

Make a list of Affirmative-Action supporters.

When their kid needs a brain-surgeon, they get to choose among M.D.'s who got thru medical school on Affirmative-Action "gimmes".

When they need an architect or civil engineer, ditto. They may only employ those who graduated from A-A programs.

"Affimative-Action Airways" will use only airplanes designed by affirmative-action aerospace engineers, and flown by affirmative-action pilots. (Not to mention maintained by A-A mechanics). They'll have to select "A-A Airways" whenever they fly.

=============

Most of us want highly competent, top-notch specialists in life-or-death matters. The Affirmative-Action crowd wants us to have to settle for second- (or third- or fourth-) best. Seems only "fair" to make certain that they do, too.

--Boris

30 posted on 12/15/2002 11:08:04 AM PST by boris
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To: Teacher317
Good idea, not all great examples. Switzerland has four official languages (French, German, Italian and Romansch), three major ethnic groups, and quite distinct religious parts (Catholic-Protestant).

And Uganda has certainly had LOTS of violence of all sorts, though it is racially homogenous (once the Indians were driven out), though tribally diverse.

31 posted on 12/16/2002 2:08:10 PM PST by BohDaThone
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