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Tuesday, January, 21,2003
-Oregon Daily Emerald
Commentary
Editor in Chief:
Michael J. Kleckner
Managing Editor
Jessica Richelderfer
Editorial Editor
Pat Payne
Editorial
Academic world,
society still need
some affirmative
action programs
Monday saw the observation of the Rev. Martin
Luther King Jr.’s birthday, so it seems a good time to
look into the issue of affirmative action.
On Friday, President Bush announced that the gov
ernment would come out in opposition to Michigan
State University’s affirmative action plan when it goes
to the Supreme Court.
The president is wrong on this one, as affirmative ac
tion seems to be the only plan on the table that ad
dresses why minorities are grossly underrepresented
at most universities in the United States. For instance,
here at the University, out of nearly 20,000 students,
fewer than 300 are black.
Unfortunately, despite the many advances made
since the civil rights movement of the 1960s, institu
tional racism is still alive and well in America. While
people who oppose change may say “it’s about slavery,”
it is most assuredly not. The reason that affirmative ac
tion programs were put in place originally was to coun
teract this scenario: The rich white man can afford to
go to college and get the job as the top executive of a
company and work so that his rich white children can
go to the right prep schools and the right colleges; then
they can get jobs as top executives of a company —
and repeat ad nauseum.
On the other hand, there are the poor of all races —
but especially minorities — who don’t have the mon
ey to go to prep schools. For them, college plans take a
distant second to attending schools, and living lives,
where surviving unscathed one more day — not edu
cation — is often the goal.
We wholeheartedly affirm, then, that race has a nec
essary place in determining college admissions; con
sidering race is a compelling state interest. Our dis
agreement with Michigan’s policy comes from the
method in which it was implemented.
The point bonuses at Michigan are given for all sorts
of subjective measurements that have nothing to do
with academics, and this strikes us as wrong. Michi
gan’s policy gives 20-point bonuses not only for being a
minority, but for being an athlete as well. Having good
marks on the SATs, on the other hand, garners only 12
points. A system that hands out bonuses on all manner
of characteristics seems arbitrary.
While we may disagree with the method, something
clearly is needed to maintain diversity on college campuses.
There is, of course, another solution to the problem,
one that would eliminate concerns that opponents
have with affirmative action, yet make the system open
to all, not merely those with enough money: Increase
federal funding for colleges, and make the admission
requirements such that more people can successfully
apply. In short, give the youth of this country a right to
higher education.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the United States appeared
to be heading in this direction. America is a rich coun
try, and if it wants to be competitive in the global mar
ketplace, why isn’t it offering education as an invest
ment in the future, rather than an expensive
privilegeVNo matter how society achieves this goal, it
needs to get more people — black, white, Asian, Latino
— into college than the usual crop of rich white kids.
It’s only when all Americans have the ability to im
prove their minds that the country’s underlying racial
problems — which require affirmative action as a tem
porary solution — can be solved.
about student group budgets (“A
largest increase in PFC funds,” 01
have shown a total funding incre
of 1432 percent.
The Emerald regrets the error.
Still just a 'dream'
Martin Luther King Jr. had “a dream,”
and he shouted that dream out on the steps
of the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 28,1963.
But how far have we come since he de
manded that our nation hold to our creed,
“that all men are created equal”?
In my opinion, we are not very far from
the day those words were heard. Men are
not equal. Though it is true that we are clos
er to living the “dream” because there are
different races attending the same schools
and no one is forced to sit at the back of the
bus or drink from different fountains.
The “dream” has left a lasting impression
on me since I first learned of it in my school
lessons. Although my trials are nowhere
near what others have had to endure, I
know what it is like to be considered the in
ferior race.
I am Mexican-Irish. I grew up in a biracial
home, but my mom and dad always let me
know that how I succeeded was my choice,
and that my brown skin was not a hin
drance unless I made it one. But I also know
that my parents had to endure far more
than I ever have. People didn’t look too
highly upon a Mexican and an Irish togeth
er.
Even to be called a “spic” is nothing com
pared what other races have had to go
through. But, even for all of the people who
treated me in a positive way, the one person
who dared utter their ignorance to me with
that word had an effect. I knew of the igno
rance of people who believed that white
people were the superior race, and with
that, I believe those people will always exist.
Though “nigger” is not something I care
to hear directed at someone I know, or even
don’t know at all, I have heard it. In pass
ing, I heard a friend of mine call a black per
son that word. I stood aghast in disbelief.
He had the audacity to say they were
friends, and his friend was cool with it.
Needless to say, I felt the civil rights
movement had been put back 20 years.
Why would someone be fine with being
called something of that nature? Have peo
ple gotten so used to the defaming remarks
and name-calling that they just as noncha
lantly call their “friends” names that were
deemed so discriminatory and repulsive
just a short while ago?
We’ve made strides in civil rights, yes,
but we also seem to have gotten so comfort
able in society with hate speech and
derogatory comments that calling someone
a “retard” is not considered a demeaning
remark, when in fact it is.
There are minorities across the country
in schools with white students. There are
people of color sitting anywhere they want
on the bus. We are sharing drinking foun
tains. But people of color will never be con
sidered equals because there are still so
many out there who feel white people are of
a superior race. As long as ignorance is still
voiced in hate speech and everyday con
versations with “friends,” we will never be
equal and the “dream” will never be seen.
That is how far we’ve come.
Contact the columnist
atsalenadelacruz@dailyemerald.com.
Her views do not necessarily represent those
of the Emerald.
Letter to the editor
Human Life Day
is ‘blatant hypocrisy*
Our glorious leader, President George
W. Bush, has, in all his wisdom, declared
Jan. 19th to be National Sanctity of Hu
man Life Day — a move to be praised by
all, right? Wrong. It is no coincidence
Online poll
Each Monday, the Emerald publishes
the previous week’s poll results and
the coming week’s poll question. Visit
www.dailyemerald.com to vote.
Last week: Should the NCAA adopt
the “student-athletes’ bill of rights7
Results: 34 total votes
Ves— 29.4 percent, or 10 votes
that next week happens to be the 30th
anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision,
which made a woman’s right to choose
legal in the United States.
No matter where you stand on the is
sue of abortion, it is unjust to support a
day to respect the sanctity of human life
while we are at the same time waging war
around the world, killing untold inno
cents. This blatant hypocrisy is just an
No, but something similar should be
instituted — 17.6 percent, or 6 votes
No, things are fine as is — 8.8
percent, or 3 votes
No, college sports should be spun
off as minor leagues — 20.6
percent, or 7 votes
Don’t kt; jw—5.9 percent, or 2 votes
Leave me alone! — 17.6 percent,
or 6 votes
other example of Bush’s disrespect for
human life and the political opportunism
he regularly displays with issues that tru
ly have deep meaning for all people.
If we want to be honest about it, why
doesn’t Bush call it National Sanctity of
American Conservative Life Day?
Kirk Wintermute
junior
history
This week: Do you agree with the
University of Michigan’s race-based
admissions policy?
Choices: Yes — Michigan is doing
the right thing; Yes — Michigan’s
system is better than nothing;
No — Having a point system is
unfair; No — Race should never
be a factor; Don’t know; Leave
me alone