*sniff* I wish I was back in Santa Cruz. I love a good peace or civil rights protest and they never are as good back here as they were when I was at UCSC.
Oh President Bush… explain how exactly you are anti-affirmative action when it was the only reason you actually got into Yale. I looked at the UM guidelines for admission and as a white female, there was nothing out of the ordinary. I mean, in the extras category you get 20 points if:
-you are a Michigan state resident (it’s a state-funded school — this is not unusual)
-you are an athlete that they want to recruit (Yeah… let’s make them take that out so that all us non-athletes have a chance)
and finally…
-you are of a minority race (Tell me with a straight face that a preppy white kid from a Michigan day school and a black kid from an inner city Detroit high school are going to have an equal footing in their coursework and admissions. I’m waiting…)
but see… the problem in your example isn’t the color of the student’s skin, it’s that he came from an under-privileged neighborhood.
affirmative action divides us more and more by the color of our skin. however, a poor white trash kid from the central valley would have just as few opportunities as that inner-city black student, yet since he is white he won’t get the leg up needed to make it equal footing.
that’s why affirmative action is wrong and racist. it says that it doesn’t matter what struggles you’ve had, if you’re white getting you an education and equal footing isn’t important.
Amen to that! Affirmative Action is basically turning back on the “oppressor” what has been traditionally been given – which is totally against the command of Jesus to turn the other cheek. It is a form of revenge and therefore has no place either in fair-minded politics or true religion. (See also the influence of Feminism on Mainline Christianity.)
Then again, a poor white trash kid doesn’t have worry about not being accepted because of his skin color. He doesn’t worry that he won’t get that letter of recommendation because his teacher is a racist, or wonder if he didn’t get in because he was black or asian. He can rest at night knowing that he didn’t get in because he was stupid.
I know I’ll get flamed for this, but I think it’s REALLY easy for people who aren’t of color to say affirmative action is bad. That’s because they’ve never had to need it.
Ugh. There’s so much more to say, but I’ve been giving the same lecture my whole life. It’s someone else’s turn to say something.
white people DO face racism. white people are not the only racists. there are racists in all races. i’ve experienced racism against white people.
besides that, who’s to say that racism is the only kind of predjudice that hurts or causes problems? going back to the poor senario. that kid’s teacher could be predjudice about him being poor. that happens all the time, especially to young kids. MANY teachers are predjudice against the “dirty little poor kids.” You can’t tell me that THAT can’t have as much of an impact as being a non-white person.
acting like racism is #1 the only important form of predjudice and #2 only happens to non-white people is ignorant and dangerous. it will only lead to more problems.
Okay, you wanna talk about poor?
Yes, lots of white people are poor. It’s sad.
But, lots of Blacks are poor. And they’re poor for different reasons. They’re poor because decades of racism have reduces their opportunities for education, employment and advancement.
We’re talking about the playing field here. It wasn’t ever level to begin with. You can take it up with my ancestors who were brought over here in chains on ships.
okay, I don’t want to be rude. I apologize for my tone. My point is this:
I *still* think it’s REALLY easy for people who aren’t of color to say affirmative action is bad. That’s because they’ve never had to need it.
And I’ll leave it at that.
but many of them HAVE experienced racism. and racism is NOT the only form of predjudice nor is it the worst.
and poor white kids have needed a leveled playing field too.
however, i’m more and more convinced that because of where i grew up, i have seen very little institutionalized racism (in fact, at least in my area of california, people work very hard at going the other way, which is good, but there are some instances of institutionalized racism against whites here) and perhaps i will never understand affirmative action because of that.