Affirmative action ban heads for ballot in 5 states

[Umengus]

Sorry if posted yet

I support meritocracy, I support the ban. And voters will it do too.

"
From Lindy Royce
CNN Washington Bureau

     
(CNN) -- Come election time in November, voters in five states might have a decision to make as big as whom to elect president.

Ballot initiatives have been proposed in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma that would give voters the chance to decide whether they want to do away with affirmative action in government-funded projects and public schools.

Ward Connerly, who heads the American Civil Rights Coalition -- a nonprofit organization working to end racial and gender preferences -- and the main backer of the ballot initiatives, says the 37 word initiative would read: "The state shall not discriminate against or grant preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education or public contracting."

"It would forbid any state or local agency or special district from engaging in preferential treatment," Connerly said. Watch what Connerly says about the initiative »

Connerly, who is of African-American and American Indian descent, said affirmative action causes resentment. He criticized cases in which a Caucasian student might be denied a college slot in favor of a black student with a lower grade-point average.

"It's foolish not to think that the kid who is turned away is not going to ... resent that," Connerly said.

Connerly, who grew up in Leesville, Louisiana, said he experienced oppression because of his skin color during his youth.

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"If it was wrong when I was born in '39 ... it's wrong now," he said. "If it was wrong to do it against a brown-skinned man, it's wrong to do it against a white man."

Shanta Driver, National Director of United for Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund -- an organization dedicated to integrating minority students in educational institutions -- said the ballot initiative is a mistake.

"It places us in the position of denying ... equal opportunity to blacks and Latinos," she said. Watch Driver explain her position on the initiative »

Driver and other affirmative action supporters believe this movement would erase the progress made since the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"It's obviously a huge step backwards," she said.

The ballot initiative, dubbed the Civil Rights Initiative, has already passed in California, Michigan and Washington.

Some 140,000 signed petitions have been submitted in Oklahoma. Backers in the remaining four states have until late March to early July to collect enough signatures for the initiative to be on the November ballot.

If successful, the ballot measures would cut off tax dollars for programs offering preferential treatment based on gender or race.


The issue may have some support in the Supreme Court.

In June, justices threw out public school choice plans that relied on race. That leaves many states uncertain about whether their affirmative action policies will stand up in court and against political scrutiny in this election year. E-mail to a friend "

[dead0man]

Good.  I'll be voting for it.

[opebo]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Racism deniers.

[tik 🪀✨]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Racism deniers.

Affirmative action reinforces racism.

[War on Want]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Racism deniers.

Affirmative action reinforces racism.

Not at all.

[Ban my account ffs!]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Racism deniers.

Affirmative action reinforces racism.

Not at all.

Well, really, it does.  It just does it in an indirect way.  Companies give preferential treatment to women and minorities, and white men get pissed off.  Racist white men, working with a few non-racist, good, but very naive black people to create ballot initiatives to end affirmative action, and there you have it!

But I really think we have bigger fish to fry here.  We aren't going to end racism and reduced opportunities for minorities by putting a band aid on the problem (with preferential hiring practices).  We need to work on ending poverty in our cities and on our Indian reservations and improve schools in our cities.  Ultimately, that will allow disadvantaged minorities to gain the skills necessary to compete with upper middle class suburban white kids.

[Keystone Phil]

Excellent

[tik 🪀✨]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Racism deniers.

Affirmative action reinforces racism.

Not at all.

Well, really, it does.  It just does it in an indirect way.  Companies give preferential treatment to women and minorities, and white men get pissed off.  Racist white men, working with a few non-racist, good, but very naive black people to create ballot initiatives to end affirmative action, and there you have it!

But I really think we have bigger fish to fry here.  We aren't going to end racism and reduced opportunities for minorities by putting a band aid on the problem (with preferential hiring practices).  We need to work on ending poverty in our cities and on our Indian reservations and improve schools in our cities.  Ultimately, that will allow disadvantaged minorities to gain the skills necessary to compete with upper middle class suburban white kids.

I agree wholeheartedly. I can sympathize with the intentions of affirmative action but it's really just ignoring the original wrongdoing against women and minorities that starts much earlier than that job interview or school application. It's not racist or sexist to believe that the person best qualified should get the opportunity. Of course we need to have equalizing institutions in place to help disadvantaged minorities or whoever else climb the social and economic ladders, but it needs to be on a basis besides your genes. This is fighting fire with fire, which, while sounding totally awesome, does nothing but burn everything down.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Racism deniers.

Affirmative action reinforces racism.

Not at all.

Well cited! I concede.

[Person Man]

Either side of this debate is racist.

[NDN]

Racial preferences are unconstitutional. Period.

[Aizen]

Excellent

[Flying Dog]

Good. Expect the University's to challenge the referendums in court like they did in Michigan after it passed. It won 58-42 by the way.

[MODU]

Glad to see some sane states out there are looking to move into the 21st century.

[WalterMitty]

i would oppose these bans.

[Frodo]

Is it safe to assume that both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton oppose banning race-based affirmative action? 

[??????????]

Is it safe to assume that both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton oppose banning race-based affirmative action? 

Well, they pick and choose what parts of the Constitution they wish to follow (if elected), so I'd have to say that's a yes.

[Ebowed]

It's interesting that this group claims to support civil rights yet doesn't have the balls to add a ban on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in their proposal.

This gives an indication as to their real motives in wishing to ban affirmative action.

[Josh/Devilman88]

Why can't you hire someone on what they bring to the table not what color or lack of color?

[opebo]

Why can't you hire someone on what they bring to the table not what color or lack of color?

Because in reality black people have always been and still are profoundly discriminated against, Josh.  All the racists above just like to pretend their hatred doesn't exist.

[dead0man]

Even the black people that are against it because they find it offensive?

[??????????]

Even the black people that are against it because they find it offensive?

To be fair, many blacks are very racist.

[dead0man]

Even the black people that are against it because they find it offensive?

To be fair, many blacks are very racist.

Like Chris Rock?

[Flying Dog]

Affirmative Action is reverse-discrimination.

[perdedor]

My only, and I do mean only, conservative issue. I support the ban.

[AkSaber]

Good for them. AA is racism.