Let me first start by saying that I worked by butt off in high school, and I'll be damned if anyone tells me I got into college because of my skin tone.
That being said, I can somewhat agree with the whole pride-issue, the idea that a black man would want to abolish affirmative action because students (particularly black students in his case) can and should get in on their merit. However, this amendment is still bogus. The consequences for such an amendment would cause social repercussions that I don't think many people have considered. Black Student Unions, BSAs, LSAs, ASAs - the idea of dis-banning these groups seems ridiculous to me because they serve as support systems for students. Being able to build a network and communicate with students that look like you is often essential to the success of many students - just to have a safe place to return to is important enough to make a student feel secure in their school environment. I firmly believe that math summer camps for girls will help motivate women to shift into this career field simply because if they are surrounded by other girls they can feel comfortable enough to achieve in and enjoy math.
I think it's very sad that people will be deceived into believing that they're voting yes when they want to vote no on this amendment. The language of this amendment, while brilliant and carefully thought out, masks its true intention. I fear that people are not going to realize the consequences of this amendment just because of the wording. This is horrible. And the majority of voters are not going to take the time out to study the amendments.
I agree with our speaker - I think money is a greater motivator than dignity or pride for this amendment. And this irritates me. The lengths people will go to in America to work around something that they are uncomfortable with never fails to amaze me.
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I, being white, cannot completely comprehend what it would be like for someone to believe that my skin tone got me into a class or college. However, the idea that we don't have any responsibility for our own racist thoughts bothers me a lot. I really liked when Prof. Hart said, "If I'm that racist, and ignorant (about what affirmative action is) I don't want the laws to be built around my incorrect assumptions."
At the same time people are denying racism, they're saying there are people that believe that there is no way a black person could get into a college based on merit. That makes sense...
I'm sorry, sweetie... it might be the pain medicine i just took, but I don't really understand your view point. Did you think that I THOUGHT I got into college because I'm black? Because that definitely isn't the case... are you saying that by mentioning that in my original blog I was being racist, and wasn't taking responsibility of my own racist thoughts? Again, the medicine is clouding my head a little, but I'm just confused :)
I read Katie's comment as saying she would find it hard to imagine what it would feel like to have other people dismiss your credentials because you were a person of color. It seemed like a sympathetic statement, but I'll also let Katie explain her comments herself. Thanks, though, Ashley, for giving Katie the chance to clarify a statement that might have sounded offensive.
What you wrote does raise an important point about white privilege, though, too. In contrast to students or faculty of color, white students and faculty are presumed to be compenent, a presumption that results by virtue of their skin color, too. It's just that this kind of assumption rarely gets discussed, nor does it harm the white student or faculty in the same kind of what that it damages students or faculty of color.
I'm sorry! I didn't read Katie's comment as offensive - I just wasn't getting it. Again, I blame the pain meds... but I wanted to thank you for clearing that up for me. And I also wanted to comment on the race privilege. It's a perspective that many people do not consider - if one side is being faulted, the other is probably being rewarded for the same characteristic. I hadn't considered this prior to you mentioning it - I saw preferential treatment as a cleverly worded way of phrasing discrimination when we were discussing amendment 46. It's so much more than that though. When we saw that boys make bad judgements and are less moral, we instinctly assume that girls have a stronger moral compass. This in mind, my original comment makes a lot of assumptions about my white peers that I had not considered beforehand. Hmmm...
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