Is is acceptable in America to discriminate against a racial minority for reasons of quality? This is a question which we all thought was answered in the negative long ago.
The Supreme Court will shortly issue a decision on a case which considers the acceptable use of race in college admissions. The particular case arose when a white applicant was denied admission to the University of Texas even though her grades and test scores and other criteria used for admission were higher than some black applicants who were accepted. The deciding factor in that admission decision was the race of the applicants.
Fifty years ago, there were many universities in Amerca that had long discriminated against African Americans. In order to overcome that prior discrimination, affirmative action was born. Separate criteria were used for black and whites in order to assure that more blacks would be admitted to these schools. About twenty years after the practice began, it was curtailed a bit. The Supreme Court ruled that there could not be quotas by race or religion used for admission, but that those factors could be considered in order to promote diversity on campus, a goal which the schools said would improve the educational experience of all students.
So where has that gotten us? For one thing, the practice has made it much harder for Asian Americans to get into universities. A recent study found that for Asian Americans to get into America's elite universities, their SAT scores had to be about 400 points higher than for AFrican Americans and about 140 points higher than for white students. In other words, the current practices promote discrimination against Asian Americans in the name of diversity. Even when comparing just whites and blacks, there is a major difference in the scores of the students who get admitted.
Does this make sense? Remember, the current practice is supposedly not designed to remedy the discrimination felt by the grandparents of today's students. That ended decades ago, at least according to the Supreme Court. Today, the schools supposedly are striving for diversity in order just to improve the educational experience of their students. Is it acceptable in America to discriminate against a racial minority in order to "improve" the quality of education? Can public universities which, by the Constitution, must operate so as to give all citizens equal protection actually favor some groups over a minority racial group in order to promote diversity?
The answer to this quesion ought to be clear, but for decades, we have sat and watched the discrimination continue. My prediction is that the Supreme Court will end that discrimination in its upcoming decision.
One last note: for those of you who support the idea that public universities ought to be allowed to discriminate in admissions, please consider this. How would you feel if the cafeterias in federal buildings decided to limit service to a racial group in order to improve the dining experience of those who are served? Discrimination is discrimination is discrimination.
The Supreme Court will shortly issue a decision on a case which considers the acceptable use of race in college admissions. The particular case arose when a white applicant was denied admission to the University of Texas even though her grades and test scores and other criteria used for admission were higher than some black applicants who were accepted. The deciding factor in that admission decision was the race of the applicants.
Fifty years ago, there were many universities in Amerca that had long discriminated against African Americans. In order to overcome that prior discrimination, affirmative action was born. Separate criteria were used for black and whites in order to assure that more blacks would be admitted to these schools. About twenty years after the practice began, it was curtailed a bit. The Supreme Court ruled that there could not be quotas by race or religion used for admission, but that those factors could be considered in order to promote diversity on campus, a goal which the schools said would improve the educational experience of all students.
So where has that gotten us? For one thing, the practice has made it much harder for Asian Americans to get into universities. A recent study found that for Asian Americans to get into America's elite universities, their SAT scores had to be about 400 points higher than for AFrican Americans and about 140 points higher than for white students. In other words, the current practices promote discrimination against Asian Americans in the name of diversity. Even when comparing just whites and blacks, there is a major difference in the scores of the students who get admitted.
Does this make sense? Remember, the current practice is supposedly not designed to remedy the discrimination felt by the grandparents of today's students. That ended decades ago, at least according to the Supreme Court. Today, the schools supposedly are striving for diversity in order just to improve the educational experience of their students. Is it acceptable in America to discriminate against a racial minority in order to "improve" the quality of education? Can public universities which, by the Constitution, must operate so as to give all citizens equal protection actually favor some groups over a minority racial group in order to promote diversity?
The answer to this quesion ought to be clear, but for decades, we have sat and watched the discrimination continue. My prediction is that the Supreme Court will end that discrimination in its upcoming decision.
One last note: for those of you who support the idea that public universities ought to be allowed to discriminate in admissions, please consider this. How would you feel if the cafeterias in federal buildings decided to limit service to a racial group in order to improve the dining experience of those who are served? Discrimination is discrimination is discrimination.
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