By Mychal Massie on July 19, 2016 in Daily Rant, Education, Politics, Race and Politics 4
The Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) scurried out of the door with travel vouchers in hand for summer recess after affirming the continuing perpetration of a heinous evil. By a 4-3 vote in Fisher v. University of Texas, SCOTUS sanctioned the continued practice of skin-color based discrimination against white students. Put succinctly, SCOTUS said grades and ability to succeed be damned. The most import consideration pursuant to college admissions is the right skin color.
This includes the hyper-competitive law school and medical school environment. Granted there are plenty of dumb lawyers out there, five of whom sit on the Supreme Court – but do you really want a doctor whose record of accomplishment in medical school was based upon being the favored skin color? Or do you want a doctor who attended medical school on merit juxtaposed to skin color?
Specific to that point, my objection to skin-color based affirmative action transcends the fact that deserving students are denied admission to schools they are the more qualified to attend because they’re not black or Hispanic. Nor is my primary objection that skin-color admissions aren’t prepared to excel in a hyper-competitive environment. My primary objection is based upon empirical observation that the most grievous act of injustice perpetrated upon skin-color based affirmative action is what same does to their mind, spirit, and psyche of the student.
An outstanding student like Abigail Fisher, the young lady who brought the suit against University of Texas because she was denied admission based upon her not being the right color, can ultimately gain admission and succeed in virtually any academic environment. However, statistics have proven that the great majority of skin-color admitted students who were not qualified for admission into certain schools and/or programs underperform, drop out, or flunk out.
The person who was given the free ride based upon being the right skin color very quickly realizes they are in over their head. They also realize that the color of their skin is the key to a modicum of falsely measured success, juxtaposed to them realizing it is hard work and dedication with goal planning that is key to advancement.
Freely giving that which isn’t earned and certainly not deserved based upon meritocracy serves only too lower the bar of achievement. It inspires a lack of effort, because effort, i.e., hard work, is not the standard used for their success – they are taught that being black deserves advancement and failure to advance is because of “white privilege.”
Does anyone believe so many blacks would spend their time training and working out, if they knew all they had to do was show up and they would be placed on the team of their choice because they were black? Black wannabe athletes work like dogs for the “hoped for” chance to prove they can bring value to whatever professional team will have them. Very few of them ever get invited to a professional camp. Yet they spend years and years pursuing their dream, all the while increasing their work effort, and hoping for the remote chance they will be invited to a camp.
But they are not encouraged to treat academics as if they were trying out for the football team. Being passed from grade to grade because of skin color does not benefit the student. Giving them admission to schools for which they are not prepared to compete, much less succeed, damages the psyche of individuals.
Life is not fair nor is success guaranteed. Instituting a mindset and culture that inculcates the idea that advancement is based upon the color of one’s skin and lack of success is based upon one not being the right color is a paradigm for hatred, acrimony, and anger.
When persons who have been unworthily promoted through school, lived in Section 8 or public housing, and received other special consideration based on being a color, are refused what they’ve predetermined that they deserve, the reflexive fall back is to claim their skin color is being held against them. They overlook the fact that they have been the recipients of advancement most of their lives based principally on the color of their skin.
Higher education is something to be earned not gifted. Using skin color for career advancement should be left on the corners of areas frequented by those looking to solicit certain favors in exchange for monetary consideration. Using it to obtain unmerited positions has done nothing but discourage maximum effort, foment antipathy, and invite division.
Tragically many blacks who actually earned their way to success based upon hard work and stick-to-itiveness are angry and also carry chips on their shoulders. This is because the mindset of “I’m black and you owe me” has been ingrained into them.
Needs based affirmative action is acceptable. But skin-color based and gender-based affirmative action is a failed alchemy that has done nothing but diminish personal responsibility.
The Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) scurried out of the door with travel vouchers in hand for summer recess after affirming the continuing perpetration of a heinous evil. By a 4-3 vote in Fisher v. University of Texas, SCOTUS sanctioned the continued practice of skin-color based discrimination against white students. Put succinctly, SCOTUS said grades and ability to succeed be damned. The most import consideration pursuant to college admissions is the right skin color.
This includes the hyper-competitive law school and medical school environment. Granted there are plenty of dumb lawyers out there, five of whom sit on the Supreme Court – but do you really want a doctor whose record of accomplishment in medical school was based upon being the favored skin color? Or do you want a doctor who attended medical school on merit juxtaposed to skin color?
Specific to that point, my objection to skin-color based affirmative action transcends the fact that deserving students are denied admission to schools they are the more qualified to attend because they’re not black or Hispanic. Nor is my primary objection that skin-color admissions aren’t prepared to excel in a hyper-competitive environment. My primary objection is based upon empirical observation that the most grievous act of injustice perpetrated upon skin-color based affirmative action is what same does to their mind, spirit, and psyche of the student.
An outstanding student like Abigail Fisher, the young lady who brought the suit against University of Texas because she was denied admission based upon her not being the right color, can ultimately gain admission and succeed in virtually any academic environment. However, statistics have proven that the great majority of skin-color admitted students who were not qualified for admission into certain schools and/or programs underperform, drop out, or flunk out.
The person who was given the free ride based upon being the right skin color very quickly realizes they are in over their head. They also realize that the color of their skin is the key to a modicum of falsely measured success, juxtaposed to them realizing it is hard work and dedication with goal planning that is key to advancement.
Freely giving that which isn’t earned and certainly not deserved based upon meritocracy serves only too lower the bar of achievement. It inspires a lack of effort, because effort, i.e., hard work, is not the standard used for their success – they are taught that being black deserves advancement and failure to advance is because of “white privilege.”
Does anyone believe so many blacks would spend their time training and working out, if they knew all they had to do was show up and they would be placed on the team of their choice because they were black? Black wannabe athletes work like dogs for the “hoped for” chance to prove they can bring value to whatever professional team will have them. Very few of them ever get invited to a professional camp. Yet they spend years and years pursuing their dream, all the while increasing their work effort, and hoping for the remote chance they will be invited to a camp.
But they are not encouraged to treat academics as if they were trying out for the football team. Being passed from grade to grade because of skin color does not benefit the student. Giving them admission to schools for which they are not prepared to compete, much less succeed, damages the psyche of individuals.
Life is not fair nor is success guaranteed. Instituting a mindset and culture that inculcates the idea that advancement is based upon the color of one’s skin and lack of success is based upon one not being the right color is a paradigm for hatred, acrimony, and anger.
When persons who have been unworthily promoted through school, lived in Section 8 or public housing, and received other special consideration based on being a color, are refused what they’ve predetermined that they deserve, the reflexive fall back is to claim their skin color is being held against them. They overlook the fact that they have been the recipients of advancement most of their lives based principally on the color of their skin.
Higher education is something to be earned not gifted. Using skin color for career advancement should be left on the corners of areas frequented by those looking to solicit certain favors in exchange for monetary consideration. Using it to obtain unmerited positions has done nothing but discourage maximum effort, foment antipathy, and invite division.
Tragically many blacks who actually earned their way to success based upon hard work and stick-to-itiveness are angry and also carry chips on their shoulders. This is because the mindset of “I’m black and you owe me” has been ingrained into them.
Needs based affirmative action is acceptable. But skin-color based and gender-based affirmative action is a failed alchemy that has done nothing but diminish personal responsibility.
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