Affirmative Action at the Crossroads

Some time back, Scragged predicted that affirmative action might become a Presidential issue this year.  In pointing out that Michelle Obama's feelings had been badly hurt by affirmative action at Princeton University, we speculated that, as Mr. Nixon was anti-communist enough to admit that China existed and Bill Clinton was black enough to change the welfare system to help lift many black children out of poverty, Mr. Obama might be black enough to end affirmative action entirely.

The question of how to weigh affirmative action versus equal opportunity hit the front page of the Wall Street Journal of June 14-15, 2008.  After pointing out that many whites feel that Mr. Obama's nomination proves that affirmative action is no longer needed whereas many blacks feel that continued black progress requires that we extend affirmative action, the article said on page A8:

... Sen. John McCain opposes 'affirmative action plans and quotas that give weight to one group of Americans at the expense of another. ... Plans that result in quotas, where such plans have not been judicially created to remedy a specific, proven act of discrimination, only result in more discrimination and violate the concept of equality of opportunity.'

Affirmative action is a mealy-mouthed way to describe government-commanded racism; we're gratified that Sen. McCain is willing to call racism what it is even when practiced by the government.  Wow.  If he keeps that up, we may have to reconsider our presidential endorsement.

As Chief Justice John Roberts put it, "The way to end racial discrimination is to stop discriminating by race."  Anything else is, well, racist.