The Grand Rapids-based group ACTIVATE, an affiliate of the recently reformed Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), has completed a new poster urging people to vote in defense of affirmative action and to vote against Proposal 2 or the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI). In addition to posting them around town, the group has reposted the contents of a brochure by the Lansing-based Defend Affirmative Action Michigan (DAAM). Among the information highlighted are common misconceptions about affirmative action:
Someone I know didn't get into school or get a job because of Affirmative Action...
This misconception is common and false. It is illegal for Affirmative Action programs to give someone who is less qualified benefits over someone who is qualified. In the U of M Law School Supreme Court case (Grutter V. Bollinger), all sides conceded that the students admitted were fully qualified. Even the Anti-Affirmative Action lawyers who sued the University conceded that fully qualified minority students would be barred without Affirmative Action admissions programs.What about quotas and "reverse discrimination"?
Quotas are illegal. Race and gender are among several factors that are considered, but job and educational qualifications are not compromised. The Supreme Court ruled that Affirmative Action policies are illegal if (among other things), an unqualified person receives benefits over a qualified one.Working to remedy racism and sexism in a systemic way is not "reverse racism" or "preferential treatment." Providing people access to opportunities that have historically been denied to them because of their race or gender does not discriminate against the people that have historically had access to the same opportunites.
Shouldn't admissions be based on merit?
The MCRI would exclude the majority of fully qualified Black, Latino, Xicano, and Native American students from admmission to the universities of this state. As stated above, even people who oppose affirmative action agress that this would happen. Without affirmative action, the merit of minority students is ignored because of institutional inequality.
