Go figure...gotta love "individual rights" policies...
From: The Ayn Rand Institute [mailto:media@aynrand.org]
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2003 1:27 PM
Subject: Letter to the Editor: University of Michigan Hides Its Racist Policies
Welcome to the brave new world of college admissions. The Supreme Court ruled in the Michigan case that raced-based policies are constitutional as long as universities are not too obvious about it. The University of Michigan has announced that it has changed its procedures accordingly and these will no doubt be used as a model by other universities. Now instead of using race explicitly by assigning a certain number of bonus points for applicants of the right race, Michigan will use race implicitly--which means they can do whatever they feel like doing provided they do not say they are doing it! Instead of being above board and in the open, racism will now be hidden under the table.
Consider the irony of this. For decades leftists and so-called anti-racists have supported affirmative programs (quotas) on the grounds that in theory treating people as individuals may be ideal but that hidden or subconscious prejudices would undermine any such attempt. Now, with the left's strong approval, the Supreme Court has told universities that subconscious prejudice is both legal and desirable--if the result is to favor minority groups. But racism is still racism regardless of whether it is done consciously or subconsciously and regardless of which group benefits. The real solution is not to hide racism but to abolish and replace it with the principle of color-blind, race-blind individualism--the principle on which America was founded.
Edwin A. Locke
Ayn Rand Institute
From: The Ayn Rand Institute [mailto:media@aynrand.org]
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2003 1:27 PM
Subject: Letter to the Editor: University of Michigan Hides Its Racist Policies
Welcome to the brave new world of college admissions. The Supreme Court ruled in the Michigan case that raced-based policies are constitutional as long as universities are not too obvious about it. The University of Michigan has announced that it has changed its procedures accordingly and these will no doubt be used as a model by other universities. Now instead of using race explicitly by assigning a certain number of bonus points for applicants of the right race, Michigan will use race implicitly--which means they can do whatever they feel like doing provided they do not say they are doing it! Instead of being above board and in the open, racism will now be hidden under the table.
Consider the irony of this. For decades leftists and so-called anti-racists have supported affirmative programs (quotas) on the grounds that in theory treating people as individuals may be ideal but that hidden or subconscious prejudices would undermine any such attempt. Now, with the left's strong approval, the Supreme Court has told universities that subconscious prejudice is both legal and desirable--if the result is to favor minority groups. But racism is still racism regardless of whether it is done consciously or subconsciously and regardless of which group benefits. The real solution is not to hide racism but to abolish and replace it with the principle of color-blind, race-blind individualism--the principle on which America was founded.
Edwin A. Locke
Ayn Rand Institute
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