In yet another “whither the NAACP?” discussion, an article in the Knight Ridder newspapers quotes J. Whyatt Mondesire, president of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP:
“It’s devastating to lose a leadership voice at the beginning of Bush’s second term, when we’ll see an all-out drive to work against the civil rights agenda and appoint three or four new members of the Supreme Court.”
The problem here, of course, is that “the civil rights agenda” has come to mean affirmative action, a point reinforced by the Knight Ridder reporter in his own voice:
One sign of how unwelcoming the national political arena has become for the NAACP is the recent change in the chairmanship of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Bush replaced Mary Frances Berry, a black liberal, with Gerald Reynolds, a black conservative who opposes affirmative action.
Here’s a thought: if the NAACP brought its understanding of “civil rights” into line with what most Americans, or all races, believe — a right to be free from discrimination on the basis of race, religion, or ethnicity — the “national political arena” would prove much more welcoming.
“The problem here, of course, is that “the civil rights agenda” has come to mean affirmative action, a point reinforced by the Knight Ridder reporter in his own voice:”
Too bad he didn’t include the quote of the new civil rights chair saying that racism wasn’t so bad.
I guess we can count on the liberal media to play its liberal role.
Actus,
That’s one of the unspoken beliefs of the anti-affirmative action movement in the first place. Opponents of Affirmative Action usually have to come up with a preface to their arguments that go along the lines of:
“Racism isn’t as bad as it was…”
“We’ve made great progress in America…”
“Maybe AA was neccessary in the past, but not so today…”
“None of my friends are racist…”
The other part of their non-stated belief system is that they really don’t see white monopoly or exclusivity as indicative of anything except natural selection, or social Darwinism.
–Cobra
Comments: Must Civil Rights = Affirmative Action?
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Nope, AA itself destroys Civil Rights, you cannot have both AA and Civil Rights. If you read the 1964 Civil Rights Act it prohibits in exhaustive language everything that is done in the name of AA.
AA also violates the Constitutional right of equal protection under the law.
I don’t expect Cobra to understand this, or even care. But if it’s not wrong to discriminate against me (and AA requires it), could someone explain to be why it’s wrong to discriminate against someone like Cobra?
Happy New Year everyone.
Rich
actus & Cobra:
Blowing hot air. Again.
Racism is a non-issue in the U.S. No person in the U.S. can really claim that race is the reason for his or her lot in life. Both of you keep harping on this crap because you are lost in time and space. It’s a sign of an empty mind and an inability to shrug off a lifetime of witless indoctrination. Yes, you dinosaurs, the 60s really are over. Nobody cares.
The fact that you don’t like this reality (i.e., that you are invested in screaming “racism” because that’s really all you know how to do) doesn’t mean it’s not true.
Ever consider waking up? To 2005 that is. Both of you need to find something else to do. You’re wasting your time and everybody else’s with this dull, idiot litany of racism. Really, who cares? Not me. (Thought I’d give you a quote that you could put at the top of your response.) Besides, black people are by far the most racist. Any plans to do something about that? (Oh, I forgot… they have a right to be racist. They’re only doing it for revenge.)
Cobra, just think what you could do in this life if you put all this energy into studying computer science and math. I guarantee that you would make more money than anybody of comparable skill level because you are black. Universities and businesses are desparate to hire black men in skilled and executive positions. There aren’t any to hire because they’re all wasting their time on this racism obsession, or in athletics. Why are you wasting time on this idiocy? actus, don’t you have something to occupy your time? Evidently not.
Cobra says the following beliefs are “unspoken” by AA critics.
“Racism isn’t as bad as it was…”
“We’ve made great progress in America…”
“Maybe AA was neccessary in the past, but not so today…”
“None of my friends are racist…”
I don’t believe this is true, i.e., that these beliefs are unspoken, but just in case let me hereby speak them (except I would change the one about AA being necessary in the past to a recognition that the arguments for it in the past were stronger).
Much as I have enjoyed seeing Cobra and actus being speared in these comments, it would be tragic if they were to become disenchanted and depart. What would such a comments section be without dyed in the wool racists to stir the blood and make the debate meaningful. Yes, they are relics of the past, repeating shopworn platitudes of another day, but they don
A conservative, one who opposes AA, can not be “black”. Reynolds, like Powell and Rice, should probably be described as “very dark white”.
It reminds me of the thought a Hispanic expressed to me about why he supported GWB. He says the Democratics would let him be part of the brown ring of the victimology rainbow. The GOP offers him (and everyone else) a chance to be white.
Notherbob writes:
>>>Just like liberals who find themselves arguing that America was wrong to overthrow Saddam.
I had to Google “brown bag”. Guess one can’t learn too much about Civil War Reconstruction days. Cobra, you are a shameless troll. The only passing going on today is caucasians checking the Hispanic box in order to gain a hiring or school acceptance preference. Black Americans are free to be black Americans, Hispanics are free to be Hispanics, or either to be just Americans or switch back and forth depending on their mood and/or immediate company. You can’t get more freedom than that. Passing, indeed. That is right in there with the brown bag test.
Really, Cobra, you might spend some time on my personal recommendations for you.
I’ll repeat, with a little more precision.
If you spent the same amount of time studying, say, business management, as you do racism, and earned a BA, you would make 25% more than a white man who earned the same degree, because corporations are so eager to hire a black man. They can’t find any with the requisite qualifications. With some exceptions, black men are (1) in jail, (2) obsessed with the racism scam, or (3) unable to give up their dream of playing in the NBA.
I’ll ask you again. Why don’t you have the sense to go for the bucks, instead of wasting your time on this endless racism scholarship? Afraid you can’t cut it in a business school? Hell, you can get into one through AA.
It’s all there for you. Why don’t you take advantage of it?
Cobra writes:
“That’s an excellent observation. Let’s examine this. This Hispanic person admitted to you that his allegience to the Republican party was a 21st Century version of “passing:” to become or appear WHITE, assumingly reaping the benefits of what that status entails.”
Aside from the fact that Hispanic is an ethnicity, not a race, and as such, this person could already be white, it seems to me that this Hispanic person is saying that rather than subscribing to the Democrat’s philosophy of lumping everyone together who looks alike or has similar ethnic backgrounds, the Republican party treats him like an individual, and treats him the same way white people treat each other. I don’t see what’s wrong with that.
Also, I’m not sure what “status” benefits there are to being both a Republican and part of a racial minority group. It seems to be a much more difficult road to follow than the alternative.
As a side note, my boss at my previous job was a black Democrat who opposed affirmative action on the grounds that it stigmatizes blacks. So not all blacks who oppose affirmative action become Republicans to somehow please white people (actually his job is in education, so he probably would piss off alot of white people if he became a Republican).
I have heard of brown bag tests, several times, but only in the context of stratification among black people, i.e., lighter-skinned black people having more status within a group of black people. I’m sure a way can be found to blame this on white racism, though.
Jason writes:
>>>Also, I’m not sure what “status” benefits there are to being both a Republican and part of a racial minority group. It seems to be a much more difficult road to follow than the alternative.”
In the case of Armstrong Williams, it’s a check for $240,000. There is much money to be made to be the minority poster child for the GOP.
–Cobra