[Vision2020] Reverse Racism?

[Paul Rumelhart]

This is how it is supposed to work, as far as I understand it.  All 
other things being equal, choose the minority so that the staff becomes 
more diverse.  If the clear winner is a member of the majority or a 
minority, it doesn't matter, hire him or her. 

Paul

Joe Campbell wrote:
> Good question, Gary.
>
> Here is an example of affirmative action that is not reverse racism.
>
> Suppose a philosophy department in a state university wants to hire 
> one of two applicants, who are equal in all respects. One is a man, 
> another is a woman. Suppose someone decides to vote for the woman 
> because (a) it is a state university and the state should hire 
> teachers that represent the demographics of the state and (b) there 
> are no women in the department.
>
> I see nothing racist about this.
>
> Joe Campbell
>
> On May 30, 2009, at 1:05 PM, "g. crabtree" <jampot at roadrunner.com 
> <mailto:jampot at roadrunner.com>> wrote:
>
>> Yeah what, exactly, does distinguish "affirmative action" from 
>> reverse discrimination or racism? After all, it couldn't be a case of 
>> "mean ol' white guy discriminated against (fill in the blank) so it's 
>> only fair that we discriminate against him for awhile to even things 
>> up." That would seem to be  "a variation of the Two Wrongs make 
>> a Right fallacy" and we all know that rationalization won't fly.
>>  
>> g
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com <mailto:thansen at moscow.com>>
>> To: "Joe Campbell" <philosopher.joe at gmail.com 
>> <mailto:philosopher.joe at gmail.com>>
>> Cc: <vision2020 at moscow.com <mailto:vision2020 at moscow.com>>
>> Sent: Saturday, May 30, 2009 11:14 AM
>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Reverse Racism?
>>
>> > And your definition, Joe, would be . . . ?
>> >
>> > Tom Hansen
>> > Moscow, Idaho
>> >
>> >> According to this definition, any kind of affirmative action would be
>> >> an instance of discrimination and racism. That strikes me as absurd.
>> >>
>> >> Joe Campbell
>> >>
>> >> On May 30, 2009, at 8:10 AM, "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com 
>> <mailto:thansen at moscow.com>> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> Courtesy of Wikipedia at:
>> >>>
>> >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_racism
>> >>>
>> >>> "Reverse discrimination (sometimes called "reverse racism") is, 
>> in its
>> >>> simplest form, the practice of favoring members of a historically
>> >>> disadvantaged group at the expense of members of a historically
>> >>> advantaged
>> >>> group."
>> >>>
>> >>> Tom Hansen
>> >>> Moscow, Idaho
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>> What is "reverse" racism?
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Ellen A. Roskovich
>> >
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