Letter to the Editor:
College Republicans unfair to attack affirmative action
Published March 19, 2010
On Wednesday, March 17, the MU College Republicans held an anti-affirmative action bake sale in Speaker's Circle. Affirmative action is the policy that seeks to take race, ethnicity and sex into consideration when applying for certain things (like applying to college), with the goal of promoting equality and diversity. At this bake sale, the CRs had items for sale at different values, depending on race and sex. For example, a cookie for a white male was $1, while the same cookie for a minority (black, Hispanic, etc.) female was $0.25. My understanding is that this was to promote the discussion of affirmative action in America, with the hopes of trying to eliminate it. I find this event held by College Republicans to be, at the least, in bad taste, or at worst, to be race baiting. Race relations in our country have not reached a level at which affirmative action can be abolished. The events at the BCC recently are proof. I recognize that racism and inequality do exist, and I believe that affirmative action is a practical way to combat this inequality. I would love to see an America in which affirmative action isn't necessary because all people are treated equally. Unfortunately, this America doesn't exist yet. I'm sorry that the College Republicans don't see it this way.
Comments (7)
3:39 p.m., March 20, 2010
Nate said:
I found the event confusing. Since they had a stratified price range based on sex and race, I thought they were acknowledging the wage differences between white males and most everyone else. I wasn't sure if they were suddenly dumping the Fair Tax in favor of a progressive tax code, or rebuking their party for not supporting the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act!
10:53 a.m., March 21, 2010
Peter said:
I think College Republicans are missing the point of affirmative action when they misrepresent the goals of AA in their tactics.
1:20 p.m., March 23, 2010
Fact Check said:
That would make sense Nate, if it wasn't for the fact that statistically more women go into service jobs (like teaching) that pays a lower wage. It's the type of job, not discrimination within the job. But then again you already knew that and were just trying to mislead readers into thinking AA was necessary. Nice try
8:25 p.m., March 23, 2010
Nate said:
I wish that were true, "Fact Check". I also wish my friend's mom wasn't going through a lawsuit right now because she found out that a man with the same experience as her was getting paid more for the same job...
8:21 a.m., March 25, 2010
Shere Khan said:
I agree with the CR's on this. Affirmitave Action is a form of reversed racism/sexism: rather than repressing a group, another is advanced. If everyone should be treated equally, then TREAT everyone equally. That means don't advance someone because of his gender or ethnicity. Take away those considerations in admissions and selection processes. Promoting based on some characteristic isn't any step towards equality: it's another backward step to inequality. Everyone needs to realize that the demographics of certain populations (e.g. the student body) cannot be expected to match that of the entire U.S.A. population, nor should that be the ideal. There are many more factors to consider than just demographic distribution; this view is narrow indeed. But also remember that private entities have the intrinsic right to be racist and sexist at their own prerogative. If Company X only wants to hire Group Y, or doesn't want to hire individuals of Group Z, it is Company X's right (whether one agrees with the policy or not). One group or entity should not forfeit any rights to promote another: that is a violation of the first's liberties.
1:03 p.m., March 25, 2010
Gaby said:
As a current minority student here at Mizzou I can say that our University is GREATLY lacking in consideration for other cultures. I'm sure im not the only one to also notice the lack of diversity that is present in our University. If a small poster of a bake sale is offending so many people perhaps this wasn't the correct approach by what ever naive organization did this. Our country has many issues regarding different ethnicities, however it's important to not offend anyone with our opinions and protest. Also if this were a simple issue then someone would have thought of a better system to enforce equality rather than affirmative action. Since pretty much all colleges in the United States have affirmative action maybe its not a bad thing but only one more pointless thing that organizations such as this one can use to fill up their agenda.
2:28 p.m., March 19, 2010
Brandon said:
So, Tyler, are you saying that, by default, the admissions team at Mizzou would be a bunch of racists who don't admit qualified black or minority students WITHOUT affirmative action?? come on! If the kid is qualified, he's qualified! It doesn't matter if he's black, white, whatever. And if the kids aren't qualified as much of another race, HELP THEM in tehir communities at earlier ages. Don't just pass the buck, wait til they apply for college, and then say "Well, we didn't help them achieve their full potential, and their schools sucked K-12, but they still deserve to go to college and get special status, so we're gonna give racial privilege to them." come on... seriously?