NEWS
Tuesday, August 26, 2003
"Ward Connerly envisions a perfect world, where there's equal access to education and hate crimes don't exist. Ward Connerly lives in a dream world, but we live in California."- CA state Assemblyman Mark Leno
Although Mr. Leno was talking about Ward Connerly's Proposition 54 in California, I think the comment could also apply to Michigan, where he's pushing a ban that would prohibit the government from using affirmative action. As a reminder Michigan is also unlike his dream world, just this summer Benton Harbor was scarred by rioting and the otherwise conservative Detroit News has joined liberals to support affirmative action because racial division happens to make poor business sense. In California, Connerly already passed Prop. 209 that banned affirmative action by the government of that state or at their public universities. Prop. 54 is a racial information ban that would forbid government from asking anyone about their race, on the ballot in November. From TomPaine.com:
"We have said the initiative and language is deceitful and misleading," said Paul Turner, a steering committee member. "It is a mockery of the civil rights movement. It's intended to appeal to mainstream white voters that this is something they can support and feel good about, without any guilt or responsibility to be inclusive on racial matters."
Turner says Proposition 54's backers have been able to use the language, imagery and icons of the civil rights movement because they have become part of American culture. He said many people -- especially white Americans who have little contact with minorities -- want to believe that racial progress is happening and old wounds have healed.
"Once people read this [ballot measure], they don't bother to educate themselves," he said. "People want to believe it, but it's not true."
Posted by Rob at 6:06 PM
