<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div><div>Good question, Gary.</div><div><br></div><div>Here is an example of affirmative action that is not reverse racism.</div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>I see nothing racist about this.</div><div><br>Joe Campbell</div><div><br>On May 30, 2009, at 1:05 PM, "g. crabtree" <<a href="mailto:jampot@roadrunner.com"><a href="mailto:jampot@roadrunner.com">jampot@roadrunner.com</a></a>> wrote:<br><br></div><div></div><blockquote type="cite"><div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">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 "<font face="Times New Roman" size="3">a
variation of the Two Wrongs make a Right fallacy</font>" and we all know
that rationalization won't fly.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">g</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">----- Original Message ----- </font>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">From: "Tom Hansen" <</font><a href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com"><font face="Arial" size="2">thansen@moscow.com</font></a><font face="Arial" size="2">></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">To: "Joe Campbell" <</font><a href="mailto:philosopher.joe@gmail.com"><font face="Arial" size="2">philosopher.joe@gmail.com</font></a><font face="Arial" size="2">></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Cc: <</font><a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com"><font face="Arial" size="2">vision2020@moscow.com</font></a><font face="Arial" size="2">></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Sent: Saturday, May 30, 2009 11:14 AM</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Reverse
Racism?</font></div></div>
<div><font face="Arial"><br><font size="2"></font></font></div><font face="Arial" size="2">> And your definition, Joe, would be . . . ?<br>> <br>> Tom
Hansen<br>> Moscow, Idaho<br>> <br>>> According to this definition,
any kind of affirmative action would be<br>>> an instance of
discrimination and racism. That strikes me as absurd.<br>>><br>>>
Joe Campbell<br>>><br>>> On May 30, 2009, at 8:10 AM, "Tom Hansen"
<</font><a href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com"><font face="Arial" size="2">thansen@moscow.com</font></a><font face="Arial" size="2">>
wrote:<br>>><br>>>> Courtesy of Wikipedia
at:<br>>>><br>>>> </font><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_racism"><font face="Arial" size="2">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_racism</font></a><br><font face="Arial" size="2">>>><br>>>> "Reverse discrimination
(sometimes called "reverse racism") is, in its<br>>>> simplest form,
the practice of favoring members of a historically<br>>>> disadvantaged
group at the expense of members of a historically<br>>>>
advantaged<br>>>> group."<br>>>><br>>>> Tom
Hansen<br>>>> Moscow,
Idaho<br>>>><br>>>><br>>>>><br>>>>>
What is "reverse" racism?<br>>>>><br>>>>> Ellen A.
Roskovich<br>> <br>>
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