[Vision2020] Isn't This Racist?
Melynda Huskey
mghuskey@hotmail.com
Sat, 5 Apr 2003 22:43:53 -0800
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Dear John,
I shouldn't bother, but the information you quote below is only part of t=
he story. Points-based admissions systems like Michigan's also award poi=
nts for being the child of alumni (at historically white schools, of cour=
se, these points go most often to whites), for geographic diversity, for =
being a first-generation college student, for coming from a less-represen=
ted area of the state (in Michigan, that's the Upper Peninsula), for havi=
ng specialized athletic ability, for being a veteran, and for all kinds o=
f other things that provide a good mix of students. At some schools--alt=
hough not, I believe, at Michigan--students who don't need financial aid =
receive separate consideration . . . a form of affirmative action for the=
wealthy.
Diversity at its finest, it seems, is a rich mix of non-whites in the fro=
ntlines of combat, but not in the front rows of college classrooms.
Melynda Huskey
----- Original Message -----
From: John Harrell
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2003 7:09 PM
To: vision2020
Subject: [Vision2020] Isn't This Racist?
{see below for article and URL.. I thought this article was interesting}
Excerpt:
The facts in the Michigan undergraduate case are easily understood: =20
On a 150-point admissions scale, an applicant gets points for various =20
achievements: three points for an outstanding essay, 12 points for a =20
perfect SAT score, 80 points for a 4.0 grade-point average--and 20 poin=
ts =20
for being black, Hispanic or American Indian. White or Asian students w=
ith =20
lower than a 950 SAT score are automatically rejected; but if you are b=
lack, =20
Hispanic or Indian the rejection score is less than 850.
And if race-based preferences are constitutional in university admissio=
ns, =20
may there be race-based preferences in other areas--for job application=
s, =20
juror selection or the election of state legislators? =20
>From Bad to Diverse - The Supreme Court debates whether the 14th Amendme=
nt means what it
says
WSJ ^ | April 4, 2003 | PETE DU PONT
http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pdupont/?id=3D110003289
Is racial discrimination in the selection of applicants to attend college=
s and law
schools acceptable--and constitutional--if its purpose is
to achieve diversity in the student body? =20
That was the question argued before the Supreme Court Tuesday. The Univer=
sity of Michigan
says yes, the social goal of diversity is
paramount. The qualified students rejected because of their race say no, =
such procedures
violate their rights under the 14th
Amendment, which guarantees "equal protection of the laws," and Title VI =
of the 1964
Civil Rights Act, which makes discrimination
"on the ground of race, color, or national origin" illegal for any instit=
ution receiving
federal funds. =20
The facts in the Michigan undergraduate case are easily understood: On a =
150-point
admissions scale, an applicant gets points for
various achievements: three points for an outstanding essay, 12 points fo=
r a perfect SAT
score, 80 points for a 4.0 grade-point
average--and 20 points for being black, Hispanic or American Indian. Whit=
e or Asian
students with lower than a 950 SAT score are
automatically rejected; but if you are black, Hispanic or Indian the reje=
ction score is
less than 850. The law-school preference program
is different but practices the same race-based discrimination in favor of=
certain
minority applicants. =20
There is an old law school adage: When you have the law on your side, arg=
ue the law; when
you have the facts, argue the facts; and
when you have neither the law nor the facts, pound on the table and screa=
m like hell.
There was a polite bit of the latter in the
courtroom on Tuesday.
Maureen Mahoney, arguing the law school's case, said that of the "2,500 s=
tudents who are
rejected each year, probably only 80 of
them . . . would have gotten an offer of admission from Michigan under a =
race-blind
system." That, she concluded, "is a very small
and diffuse burden" relative to the benefits of the racial preference pro=
gram. =20
To which Justice Antonin Scalia replied: "I don't know any other area whe=
re we . . .
decide the case by saying, well, there are very
few people being treated unconstitutionally." =20
In the undergraduate case, there is a two-track admissions system, one fo=
r selected
minorities, and the other for everyone else.
Solicitor General Theodore Olson, weighing in on the plaintiffs' side, no=
ted that "the
University of Michigan admissions program has
created a separate path and a separate door for preferred minorities. . .=
. If they meet
basic qualifications, their path is always clear and
their door is always open. . . . Nonpreferred groups face rigorous compet=
ition to get
through the other door." =20
Indeed, the university's lawyer, when pressed to identify a single minima=
lly qualified
minority member who got the 20-point racial
bonus and was rejected for admission, admitted, "I can't give you one." =20
All of which leads to deeper questions. If there are to be race-based pre=
ferences, who
gets to pick the minorities that get the
preference? In the 1978 Bakke case, which involved University of Californ=
ia medical
students, Asian-Americans were included in the
preference class; at Michigan they are not. The 14th Amendment would not =
seem to give
state university admissions officials the
power to make such decisions, but that is what Michigan demands.
And if race-based preferences are constitutional in university admissions=
, may there be
race-based preferences in other areas--for job
applications, juror selection or the election of state legislators? =20
{..snip.. see URL for complete article..}
__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and more
http://tax.yahoo.com
_____________________________________________________
List services made available by First Step Internet, =20
serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. =20
http://www.fsr.net =20
mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV>Dear John,</DI=
V> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I shouldn't bother, but the information you quo=
te below is only part of the story. Points-based admissions systems=
like Michigan's also award points for being the child of alumni (at hist=
orically white schools, of course, these points go most often to whites),=
for geographic diversity, for being a first-generation college student, =
for coming from a less-represented area of the state (in Michigan, that's=
the Upper Peninsula), for having specialized athletic ability, for being=
a veteran, and for all kinds of other things that provide a good mix of =
students. At some schools--although not, I believe, at Michigan--st=
udents who don't need financial aid receive separate consideration . . . =
a form of affirmative action for the wealthy.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DI=
V>Diversity at its finest, it seems, is a rich mix of non-white=
s in the frontlines of combat, but not in the front rows of college class=
rooms.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Melynda Huskey</DIV> <DIV> </DIV=
> <BLOCKQUOTE style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT=
: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style=3D"=
FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message -----</DIV> <DIV style=3D"BACKGR=
OUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt Arial; COLOR: black"><B>From:</B> John Harrell<=
/DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, April 05, 20=
03 7:09 PM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>To:</B> vision2020</D=
IV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] Isn't Th=
is Racist?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>{see below for article and URL.. I thou=
ght this article was interesting}<BR><BR>Excerpt:<BR><BR> The facts=
in the Michigan undergraduate case are easily understood: <BR><BR> =
On a 150-point admissions scale, an applicant gets points for various <B=
R> achievements: three points for an outstanding essay, 12 points f=
or a <BR> perfect SAT score, 80 points for a 4.0 grade-point averag=
e--and 20 points <BR> for being black, Hispanic or American Indian.=
White or Asian students with <BR> lower than a 950 SAT score are a=
utomatically rejected; but if you are black, <BR> Hispanic or India=
n the rejection score is less than 850.<BR><BR> And if race-based p=
references are constitutional in university admissions, <BR> may th=
ere be race-based preferences in other areas--for job applications, <BR>&=
nbsp; juror selection or the election of state legislators? <BR><BR><BR>&=
gt;From Bad to Diverse - The Supreme Court debates whether the 14th Amend=
ment means what it<BR>says<BR><BR>WSJ ^ | April 4, 2003 | PETE DU PONT<BR=
>http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pdupont/?id=3D110003289<BR><BR>=
Is racial discrimination in the selection of applicants to attend college=
s and law<BR>schools acceptable--and constitutional--if its purpose is<BR=
>to achieve diversity in the student body? <BR><BR>That was the question =
argued before the Supreme Court Tuesday. The University of Michigan<BR>sa=
ys yes, the social goal of diversity is<BR>paramount. The qualified stude=
nts rejected because of their race say no, such procedures<BR>violate the=
ir rights under the 14th<BR>Amendment, which guarantees "equal protection=
of the laws," and Title VI of the 1964<BR>Civil Rights Act, which makes =
discrimination<BR>"on the ground of race, color, or national origin" ille=
gal for any institution receiving<BR>federal funds. <BR><BR>The facts in =
the Michigan undergraduate case are easily understood: On a 150-point<BR>=
admissions scale, an applicant gets points for<BR>various achievements: t=
hree points for an outstanding essay, 12 points for a perfect SAT<BR>scor=
e, 80 points for a 4.0 grade-point<BR>average--and 20 points for being bl=
ack, Hispanic or American Indian. White or Asian<BR>students with lower t=
han a 950 SAT score are<BR>automatically rejected; but if you are black, =
Hispanic or Indian the rejection score is<BR>less than 850. The law-schoo=
l preference program<BR>is different but practices the same race-based di=
scrimination in favor of certain<BR>minority applicants. <BR><BR>There is=
an old law school adage: When you have the law on your side, argue the l=
aw; when<BR>you have the facts, argue the facts; and<BR>when you have nei=
ther the law nor the facts, pound on the table and scream like hell.<BR>T=
here was a polite bit of the latter in the<BR>courtroom on Tuesday.<BR><B=
R>Maureen Mahoney, arguing the law school's case, said that of the "2,500=
students who are<BR>rejected each year, probably only 80 of<BR>them . . =
. would have gotten an offer of admission from Michigan under a race-blin=
d<BR>system." That, she concluded, "is a very small<BR>and diffuse burden=
" relative to the benefits of the racial preference program. <BR><BR>To w=
hich Justice Antonin Scalia replied: "I don't know any other area where w=
e . . .<BR>decide the case by saying, well, there are very<BR>few people =
being treated unconstitutionally." <BR><BR>In the undergraduate case, the=
re is a two-track admissions system, one for selected<BR>minorities, and =
the other for everyone else.<BR>Solicitor General Theodore Olson, weighin=
g in on the plaintiffs' side, noted that "the<BR>University of Michigan a=
dmissions program has<BR>created a separate path and a separate door for =
preferred minorities. . . . If they meet<BR>basic qualifications, their p=
ath is always clear and<BR>their door is always open. . . . Nonpreferred =
groups face rigorous competition to get<BR>through the other door." <BR><=
BR>Indeed, the university's lawyer, when pressed to identify a single min=
imally qualified<BR>minority member who got the 20-point racial<BR>bonus =
and was rejected for admission, admitted, "I can't give you one." <BR><BR=
>All of which leads to deeper questions. If there are to be race-based pr=
eferences, who<BR>gets to pick the minorities that get the<BR>preference?=
In the 1978 Bakke case, which involved University of California medical<=
BR>students, Asian-Americans were included in the<BR>preference class; at=
Michigan they are not. The 14th Amendment would not seem to give<BR>stat=
e university admissions officials the<BR>power to make such decisions, bu=
t that is what Michigan demands.<BR><BR>And if race-based preferences are=
constitutional in university admissions, may there be<BR>race-based pref=
erences in other areas--for job<BR>applications, juror selection or the e=
lection of state legislators? <BR><BR>{..snip.. see URL for complete arti=
cle..}<BR><BR>__________________________________________________<BR>Do yo=
u Yahoo!?<BR>Yahoo! Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and mor=
e<BR>http://tax.yahoo.com<BR><BR>________________________________________=
_____________<BR>List services made available by First Step Internet, <BR=
>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <BR> =
; =
http://www.fsr.net =
&=
nbsp; <BR> ma=
ilto:Vision2020@moscow.com<BR>///////////////////////////////////////////=
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m the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : <a href=3D'http://explorer.msn.c=
om'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>
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