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Affirmative action is destined to be a hot-button issue in the 2004 campaign one that puts black Republicans in the awkward position of opposing a policy a majority of blacks favor. Many black conservatives say they want to end preferences based solely upon race. Affirmative action in the United States government programs to overcome the effects of past societal discrimination by allocating jobs and resources to members of specific groups, such as minorities and women. (The Columbia Encyclopedia) The policy was implemented by federal agencies enforcing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and two executive orders, which provided that government contractors and educational institutions receiving federal funds develop such programs. (The Columbia Encyclopedia) John Kerry has reiterated his support for such programs, but Republican congressional leaders have expressed their distaste for affirmative action. Senate Majority Leader is expected to introduce legislation to end racial-preference programs. George W. Bush says affirmative action as America knows it is gone.
Even with high-profile black conservatives such as Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the liberal black leadership remains confident about its base of support. The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a black think tank, found that 33 percent of the black voters it surveyed consider themselves conservative, while 30 percent consider themselves moderate and 28 percent consider themselves liberal. Although the number of black Republican candidates is rising, the center reports that blacks have not changed their views drastically: 78 percent still favor affirmative action, more than 92 percent want national health insurance and 70 percent support gun control, according to a 2004 survey. Although John Kerry has yet to declare a party affiliation, his stance on key domestic issues hes pro-choice, pro-affirmative action, and pro-progressive taxation clearly mark him as a Democrat. And while some other Democrats either took strong positions last fall against the war in Iraq or declared themselves convinced by the administrations evidence that the threat was imminent and action was needed, Kerry put forth an alternative strategy for how to deal with terrorism generally and Iraq specifically, based on using military alliances such as NATO. Although Democrats on the Judiciary Committee insist that the substance of the memos is off-limits because of the theft, they also have denied accusations that they were responsible for blocking Judge Gibbons until after the panel ruled on the affirmative- action case.
Much to the dismay of many progressive activists, Nader has publicly refused to comment on key issues such as abortion, affirmative action, and immigration. And he appeared to deride gay and lesbian rights when he called the issue of same-sex marriage an example of gonadal politics. The phrase was meant to be dignified, not dismissive, insists Nader. Linguistically, its a pure phrase that literally means that which generates, he says. It came about when Bill Safire was baiting me, asking my positions on a [host] of sexual issues. I wanted to end the exchange.
I thought gonadal politics was a more dignified phrase than love politics, sexual politics, or personal politics. Though Nader refuses to run on the Green Party platform, he does admire it, calling it the most comprehensive, broad-based party platform in the whole country. I wouldnt begin to compare it to the flaccid, insipid, empty platforms of the Democrats and Republicans. As Nader's profile rises, the going will get tougher. Nader points to his long record fighting for civil liberties and civil rights, and argues that little discernible progress will be made on the sorts of issues Frank raises if nothing is done about redressing the central imbalance of power undermining American democracy. The Rev.
Jesse Jackson criticized retired Gen. Colin Powell for his endorsement of George W. Bush, saying the Republican presidential candidates stance on affirmative action would have kept Gen. Powell from the nations top military position. (The Washington Times) The gifts of Colin Powell would have been aborted by the Bush reaction to affirmative action, said Mr.
Jackson, also referring to Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. (The Washington Times) Ironically, Powell is now supporting a team that, if they are successful, the opportunity he had under Democratic policies of affirmative action would be lost to others. What was good for him would not be good for the next generation, Jackson said. (The Washington Times) Gen. Powell, reached through his office, told the Associated Press that he would not directly comment on Mr.
Jacksons remarks, but added: Affirmative action in the military has thrived under both Republican and Democratic administrations. (The Washington Times) Recently after the U. S. Supreme Court announced it would decide whether universities could use a point system that favored minorities in its admissions process, President George W. Bush threw himself into the debate over affirmative action by publicly challenging the University of Michigan's undergraduate and law school enrollment policy.
I strongly support diversity of all kinds, including racial diversity in higher education, but the method used by the University of Michigan to achieve this important goal is fundamentally flawed, Bush said. At their core, the Michigan policies amount to a quota system that unfairly rewards or penalizes prospective students based solely on their race. Bush and others who argue against Michigan's policies do so based on fundamental fairness and meritocracy. Practiced by many of the nations top universities, including the University of Michigan, legacy admissions call for the offspring of alumni and / or those who have made significant donations to an institution to receive an advantage during the admissions process. It is common for students to gain admission based on legacy status even when their academic records, leadership experiences, and other measures of merit are inferior to those of non-legacy applicants who are not admitted.
The primary motivation behind legacy admissions is financial in nature. Alumni are willing to donate more money to their alma mater when they know their alumni status will get their childs foot in the door. While legacy admission policies may not be explicitly or intentionally racist, discrimination against minorities (as well as non-minorities who are not children of wealthy alumni) is an inevitable result. How many minority applicants can benefit from a policy that until one generation ago did not accept them? The irony is that Bush is a chief beneficiary of legacy-driven affirmative action. Could he, an admittedly average student, have gotten into Yale if he were not the son of former President George H.
W. Bush and the grandson of the late aristocratic Connecticut Senator Prescott S. Bush? Both men were wealthy and prominent Yale alumni. The idea of eliminating legacy admissions is not relished by alumni; including some African Americans who do don want to lose the perk just as they are moving into the alumni ranks of universities that once excluded them. Nor do universities have an incentive to end legacies; they want every edge they can get to leverage contributions from alumni.
But as long as legacy policies play a role, fairness demands that affirmative action at the University of Michigan remains at least until African American and other minority students are able to benefit equally from legacy status. Actually, George W. Bush has appointed more women to positions of power and influence than any president in history. He even has a diversity policy that requires 30 percent of administration jobs to be filled by women. If George W.
Bush will be elected this year for his second term I am sure that affirmative action will be in place. Bibliography: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2000, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N. V. , 2000 The Washington Times, October 31, 2000 web web web web web web
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Research essay sample on George W Bush University Of Michigan
