Wednesday, April 23, 2014
To: Friends & Supporters
From: Gary L. Bauer
Wrestling With Race
Yesterday, to the chagrin of leftists everywhere, the Supreme Court handed down a principled decision on the use of race as a criterion for college admissions. By a surprising 6-to-2 vote the court upheld the right of Michigan voters to eliminate a practice euphemistically known as affirmative action. In 2006, 58% of Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment stopping race-based admissions.
I use the term “euphemistically” because the practice is the very thing that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., condemned. Dr. King captured the imagination of this good and decent country by calling attention to the injustice of decisions based on the color of one’s skin rather than the content of their character. Yet when it comes to so many aspects of life today, that is precisely what the politically correct left demands.
There are only so many openings at a university. If a black student were denied admission even though she met all the criteria of good grades, solid SAT scores and strong extra-curricular activities, it would be understood as discriminatory and unacceptable.
Likewise, when an opening is awarded in part because an applicant is a member of a preferred racial category, that, too, should be abhorrent in a society committed to non-discrimination.
I strongly believe that affirmative action has actually hurt minorities. It casts an underserving shadow on achievement. The accomplished black surgeon, scientist or CEO is tarred by the false perception that he or she could not have succeeded without racial preferences.
In addition, racial set-asides send a message to minority youth that they cannot succeed without certain advantages. Far from alleviating racial tension, I believe affirmative action aggravates it. It has ingrained what is often decried as the “soft bigotry of low expectations.”
Justice Sotomayor dissented from the majority ruling. She wrote that “race matters” and that judges should “confront the racial inequality that exists in our society.” No fair person believes that racial inequality should be tolerated. But most Americans reject racial discrimination of any kind as a solution.
The irony of Sotomayor’s dissent, which was joined by Justice Ginsburg, was extraordinary. Here was the first Hispanic, female Supreme Court justice, appointed by the first president of color, sitting on a court with Clarence Thomas and two other women, arguing that America must have minority set-asides!
There were several “majority” opinions in the Michigan case, but the six justices found the most common ground around the notion that the people of Michigan had the right to decide the issue for themselves. Justice Stephen Breyer joined the court’s five center-right justices, while Justice Elena Kagan recused herself.
In his opinion, Justice Kennedy wrote, “This case is not about how the debate about racial preferences should be resolved. It is about who may resolve it.” Kennedy added, “Democracy does not presume that some subjects are either too divisive or too profound for public debate.”
In his opinion siding with the majority, liberal Justice Stephen Breyer had no problem with the fact that the voter-approved amendment banning affirmative action “ took decision making authority away from these unelected actors [university administrators] and placed it in the hands of the voters.”
At a time when the rights of the people are increasingly constrained, it is refreshing to see the high court uphold the right of the people to decide university admission criteria. Let’s pray a majority of the court will permit the people of Michigan and dozens of other states the same right to define the meaning of marriage!
Discounts For Death?
The destruction of innocent babies in America is big business. If you don’t believe me, look at the discounts abortionists are offering to entice women to choose death.
Several abortion clinics offer coupons for “liking” their Facebook pages. One Florida abortionist offers a discount as high as $100. A Pennsylvania abortion clinic advertises a $50 discount for “Out of State Residents.”
A Florida clinic gave a new meaning to the term “Black Friday” with its “After Thanksgiving Savings” coupon. That’s right — the day after thanking God for His blessings, you can save a few bucks when you abort your baby.
Talk about the cheapening of life! Offering discounts for the destruction of an innocent human baby exposes the callous business model of the abortion industry and its exploitation of women.
Pence Talks Energy, Education and Ukraine
Indiana Governor Mike Pence is getting more attention these days. His recent trip to Europe got a lot of traction. He gave a number of speeches sounding Reaganesque themes, suggesting that America has an important role to play in the world.
Yesterday, Governor Pence was on Fox News discussing three hot button issues important to many Americans — the Keystone pipeline, Common Core and the crisis in Ukraine. Click here to watch the interview.
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