*Update below*
The Colorado Civil Rights Initiative’s Jessica Peck Corry makes the case in the Denver Post that it’s time to end government discrimination and preferential treatment. A vote for Amendment 46 is a vote for equality.
Amendment 46 will eliminate government preferences based on factors like race and sex and open outreach to individuals with disadvantages, regardless of race or sex. Corry writes:
“Voters should support Amendment 46 because fairness and equality dictate that our affirmative-action efforts — designed initially to fight the effects of discrimination — don’t discriminate. If we want to promote diversity, we must lay to rest the false notion that diversity is tied to our biology and not our own unique life experiences.”
There’s also a false notion that women and minorities can’t succeed without preferential treatment. As Corry notes, admission rates for the University of California system have increased at seven of its nine campuses since Proposition 209 became law in 1996, and over half of UC undergraduates are women. Proposition 209 has not stopped qualified women and minorities from gaining admission.
Taking economic disadvantage into consideration is preferable to factoring in skin color and sex in admissions decisions. Colorado voters have a chance to make sure their state is barred from discriminating.
For those whose recollection is faulty, here’s an excerpt of Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964:
No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
Update: A commenter to Corry’s op-ed writes:
“I’m an African American law student. I scored a 174 out of 180 on my LSAT and entered law school with a 3.95 GPA. I am in the top 20% of my class and yet I’m STILL ASKED how I got admitted. The question is usually framed around a comment such as ‘how did you get in when my friend/sister/brother/cousin/dog groomer’ couldn’t. My simple answer is that I outperformed them. The doubts linger, nevertheless.
“In my opinion, eliminating programs that give people a reason to doubt minority academic achievement is a good thing. Admissions should be merit based, period.”
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