![High court upholds Mich. affirmative action ban: The U.S. Supreme Court building: The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington.]({"default":"http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/b8/8d5930e382bf54274ca7932ef21/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg"})
If you listen to some folks, America's slow march to a "color blind" society took another giant step today. The Supreme Court, in a 6-2 ruling, is making sure of it by declaring that voters in the state of Michigan can ban race from being considered by that state's flagship university in admissions. (I see you Uncle Clarence)
Personally, I would have no problem with this concept if America's history was a little different. Sadly, though, we know that is not the case. We know that the history of this country is such that she is not quite ready to put everyone in a similar situation and expect that we are going to have equal results.
This is not only true when it comes to race; it is true when it comes to poverty as well. I have no problem with a college or university using things such as economic background, geography, and race to create a diverse student body. Unfortunately there are some folks in the majority population who always default to us against them (the them being those black folks) when it comes to this particular discussion.
When we talk about affirmative action, we often think of those Negroes with their "hands out". I suspect that this is why the Supreme Court decision today was so popular in certain circles.
We forget, of course, that white women are the biggest beneficiaries of affirmative action, and that many successful small businesses got that way because of affirmative action.
"Justice Anthony Kennedy said voters chose to eliminate racial preferences, presumably because such a system could give rise to race-based resentment. Kennedy said nothing in the Constitution or the court's prior cases gives judges the authority to undermine the election results.
"This case is not about how the debate about racial preferences should be resolved. It is about who may resolve it," Kennedy said.
In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the decision tramples on the rights of minorities, even though the amendment was adopted democratically.
"But without checks, democratically approved legislation can oppress minority groups," said Sotomayor, who read her dissent aloud in the courtroom Tuesday. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg sided with Sotomayor in dissent."
Justice Sotomayor must have not gotten the memo: There are no more "minorities" in America. In the new "color blind" America we are all one. *sarcasm off*
