Monday, February 22, 2010

Daily 49er - Our View - Affirmative action not defendable policy

Daily 49er - Our View - Affirmative action not defendable policy


This country is built on foundations absent of entitlement. The meritocracy built on these foundations has developed a society unlike any other. We are not judged by the color of our skin; and the proper noun that follows our first name has no bearing on our future.
It wouldn’t be wrong to describe this understanding as idealistic but to say that it is not something we strive for, well, that’s where one would be wrong. In other words, “unamerican” would be the one who fights for anything different.
In steps that contradict the very foundations of this country, the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration, and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) announced last Tuesday, that they will file suit on behalf of California students, in order to overturn voter-approved Proposition 209.
As a reflection of language already found in our Constitution, this proposition was passed, with 54 percent of the vote on Nov. 5, 1996. Opposition was concentrated in Los Angeles County as well as the Bay Area. The proposition prohibits state institutions from considering race, sex or ethnicity.
Proposition 209’s biggest role has, undoubtedly, been in higher education. After its passage in 1996, public universities in California were barred from admitting students based on race, sex or ethnicity. This