🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <walker.64.0B68B940@pewter.chrr.ohio-state.edu>,
walker@pewter.chrr.ohio-state.edu (Gemma E. Walker) wrote:

> The Rev. Al Sharpton will be on the OSU campus 
> Feb 12th 7:00 pm
> at the Ohio Union East Ballroom
> 1739 N High street
> 
> Participating in Panel discussion:  Affirmative Action and Higher Education
> 
> Rev. Sharpton is a nationally well known organizer, a political and community 
> Activist, he spearheaded fight against  "craack" and drug use in communities. 
> He is also an ordained minister.  His work includes major convictions of 
> individuals prosecuted for crimes involving racial bias and motive.
> 
> Free and open to the public.

Mr. Sharpton is most renowned for his stinging defense of Tawana Brawley. 
Recall that Ms. Brawley claimed to have been raped by white police
officers, and later retracted her story completely.  But in the interim,
Mr. Sharpton engaged in divisive race-baiting on all the major network
programs and anywhere else he was able to get an interview.  Sharpton is a
racial provocateur, he attempts to win media attention, acclaim, and
political clout by pursuing cases such as Brawley's.  He cares not whether
the allegations are true or not.

"Affirmative Action" is a euphemism for quotas, and is anathema to the
American tradition of advancement based upon merit.  Furthermore, quotas
increase hostility between the advantaged and disadvantaged classes
created by such systems.

Arguably, since admission to prestigous schools is based largely upon
academic performance and standardized test scores, the admissions process
is almost immune to discrimination anyway.

-- 
Frank Seipel
fseipel@freenet.columbus.oh.us

In article <fseipel-0602971819380001@ts13-4.homenet.ohio-state.edu> fseipel@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Frank Seipel) writes:


>In article <walker.64.0B68B940@pewter.chrr.ohio-state.edu>,
>walker@pewter.chrr.ohio-state.edu (Gemma E. Walker) wrote:

>> The Rev. Al Sharpton will be on the OSU campus 
>> Feb 12th 7:00 pm
>> at the Ohio Union East Ballroom
>> 1739 N High street
>> 
>> Participating in Panel discussion:  Affirmative Action and Higher Education
>> 
>> Rev. Sharpton is a nationally well known organizer, a political and community 
>> Activist, he spearheaded fight against  "craack" and drug use in communities. 
>> He is also an ordained minister.  His work includes major convictions of 
>> individuals prosecuted for crimes involving racial bias and motive.
>> 
>> Free and open to the public.

>Mr. Sharpton is most renowned for his stinging defense of Tawana Brawley. 
>Recall that Ms. Brawley claimed to have been raped by white police
>officers, and later retracted her story completely.  But in the interim,
>Mr. Sharpton engaged in divisive race-baiting on all the major network
>programs and anywhere else he was able to get an interview.  Sharpton is a
>racial provocateur, he attempts to win media attention, acclaim, and
>political clout by pursuing cases such as Brawley's.  He cares not whether
>the allegations are true or not.

Excellent resume of Al Sharpton's career.

>"Affirmative Action" is a euphemism for quotas, and is anathema to the
>American tradition of advancement based upon merit.  Furthermore, quotas
>increase hostility between the advantaged and disadvantaged classes
>created by such systems.

Actually Affirmative action is clearly appropriate under America's better 
traditions, especially when, as is often the case, it doesn't amount to 
quotas.  The tradition of advancement based upon merit has only been 
articulated in the last 100 years or so.  During that time there have been 
many places and times when the quota on doctors, businessmen, sucessful 
entreprenuers(sp?), public employees etc. was 0 for African Americans.  While 
African Americans make up 11 to 12% of the population, there are a few 
occupations in which they are limited to less than 1% because of race.  So 
much for the American tradition of advancement based upon merit.   

But what is the main argument for Affirmative Action.  It is that some people 
have more access to employment opportunities for the arbitrary reason of 
race or ethnicity.  The root of these problems have to do with the history of 
African Americans which has been determined to a great degree, and unjustly 
so, by European Americans.  Affirmative Action seeks to redress these 
injustices while leaving the meritocracy mostly intact.  Any advantages even 
to the point of quotas that some people get from it are small compared to the 
disadvantages experienced by people from the same group in the past and 
present.

>Arguably, since admission to prestigous schools is based largely upon
>academic performance and standardized test scores, the admissions process
>is almost immune to discrimination anyway.

People who go to good primary and secondary schools, i.e. people whose parents 
did well in the previous generation, do better on standardized tests and get 
better recogintion for their academic performance.   

Bert Bishop