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Bush-Critical Washington Post Article Outruns Its Evidence

Today’s Washington Post has a long page one article arguing (much more than reporting) that Bush’s campaign ads represent “unprecedented negativity.” You’ll need to look at the whole thing to determine whether you think the case is made. I certainly make no claim myself to having scrutinized all these ads and compared their charges to […]

Whither (Wither? Whether?) The NAACP?

The St. Petersburg Times has a long article today asking whether the NAACP is “still relevant as it nears 100”? The article is worth a look, but I believe the most serious problem of the NAACP, and the civil rights movement today in general, was unintentionally revealed in statements by a local leader quoted in […]

Is Race “Even Remotely Relevant”?

Interestingly, Randy Cohen, the New York Times Magazine Sunday “Ethicist,” thinks not. Replying to a query from Malik Raymond Singleton, who asks whether it is wrong to drop his “ethnically identifying first name” on job applications, Ethicist Cohen replies: This name change is a reasonable response to racial bias. It would be unethical — and […]

“Diversity” And Testing: A Double Standard?

In my last post I pointed out that “diversity” is often defended by reference to values or goals that have nothing to do with diversity as traditionally understood, and in fact that have been specifically barred by previous Supreme Court opinions. Now let me propose a hypocrisy test, one that, appropriately enough, has to do […]

Diversity Confusion

Given the enormity of the loophole created by Grutter it is difficult to remember that it is a loophole. Earlier, the Supremes had banned racial preferences for the purposes of correcting racial imbalance, even racial imbalances caused by earlier generations of discrimination, or to provide compensation for past discrimination (except to individuals who could prove […]

Calif. Bill Would Allow “Consideration” Of Race

On Wednesday the California state assembly passed a bill, by a vote of 45 – 30 with no debate, that would allow the University of California and California State University systems to consider race in admissions. But, you must be wondering, as I did, wouldn’t such a law kick sand in the face of Prop. […]

Kerry: Opponents Of Affirmative Action Oppose Equality

In a speech commemorating black veterans, John Kerry said in a speech on Friday that there are still people in this country who don’t understand. We still have people in this country who are willing to stand in the way. We still have some who call themselves leaders who appoint people to courts who challenge […]

Light Blogging Ahead

We’re leaving tomorrow to take Miss Jessie to Pittsburgh for the summer, where she’ll be interning with Seagate Technology. And then it’s on to San Francisco for a couple of weeks of house sitting, just like my wife and I did last summer. (It’s nice to have a friend who leaves San Francisco in the […]

No-Identity Politics

Since daughter Jessie will turn 18 the end of October, will thus be eligible to vote next November, but will be in first Pittsburgh and then Pasadena after tomorrow, we took her to register today and get an application for an absentee ballot. Because of Jessie’s experience proving her identity in order to take the […]

Talk!

Prof. George Farkas of Penn State argues that the black – white test score gap cannot be accounted for by “explanations such as biased testing, discrimination by teachers, test anxiety among Black students, disparities in income or family structure, and cultural and genetic differences.” What, then, does he believe is the explanation? A talk deficit. […]