Police and fire departments are ordered to consider race when hiring and promoting to rectify past intentional or unintentional racial discrimination against blacks, thereby intentionally discriminating against whites. Does this make sense? The practice occurs wherever racial preferences exist. The race of job candidates and college applicants must be considered in order to implement preference policies. The only way to break out of the vicious circle is to implement race neutrality when hiring and admitting.
The city of Macon in Georgia is trying to unburden itself from a judicial consent decree in which it was ordered to hire and promote based on race. (Source) In 1976, black officers and firefighters claimed racial discrimination, and a federal court ordered the city to use quotas to hire minorities. In 2000, white police officers and firefighters filed suit against the city, claiming racial discrimination. Four years later, the city was ordered to use race-neutral methods to hire and promote.
In light of Ricci v. DeStefano, the city of Macon is wise to request an end to the consent decree. The Supreme Court found that New Haven discriminated against white firefighters in its misguided effort to pacify politicians.
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