Making the Case for Colorblind Justice
Danny O’Connor was a member of the police department is Memphis Tennessee. In 1988 O’Connor decided to apply for promotion to sergeant. That year there were 209 other officers competing for the 75 slots. After evaluation he was placed as number fifty-six on the list. Because of his score he was assured of his place, and looked forward to soon becoming a sergeant. But, that was before affirmative action came into play. Because of Affirmative Action, 19 blacks, who had not made it onto the original list, were added to the list, while 19 whites were removed from the list, including Mr. O’Connor. This happed to Mr. O’Connor for the next two years, while 43 less qualified candidates were promoted. (Eastland pg.1-2)
In the book, Ending Affirmative Action the Case for Colorblind Justice, by Terry Eastland, I read the story about Mr. O’Connor and many others who have been negatively affected by Affirmative Action.
For 150 years our country has refused to endorse colorblind justice as the only moral remedy to our endless struggles against racism.
In order to better understand what is going on in America today concerning Affirmative action, we must first learn its history. President John F. Kennedy coined the phrase “Affirmative Action” in 1961. As defined by the American Heritage dictionary Affirmative Action is; "A policy or a program that seeks to redress past discrimination through active measures to ensure equal opportunity, as in education and employment.” (American Heritage Dictionary) Affirmative action was used not only as a means to combat segregation but to guarantee equal rights for Blacks and other minorities.
However, there is another option, which is more Biblical and moral than Affirmative action. It is best known as Color-blind justice. In the American Heritage Dictionary, Colorblind justice means; “Not recognizing racial or class distinctions.” (American Heritage Dictionary)
Abolitionist Wendell Phillips first promoted the Idea of Colorblind Justice in the post reconstruction era in America. During this time the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were added to our constitution, thus, guaranteeing rights for African Americans. Even so Phillips saw a need for an additional amendment, which read as follows. “No State shall make any distinction among its citizens on account of race and color.” (qtd. in Eastland pg.26) I believe abolitionists promoted this amendment out of concern for future problems that could arise because of loopholes in the other amendments. History tells us their foresight was correct, with the advent of the despicable Jim Crow Laws, which created segregation between Blacks, whites and other minorities.
The Jim Crow laws kept us bound to racial segregation, until the passage of Affirmative Action in 1961. Affirmative action did what it was meant to do, over ride racial prejudice, but in so doing the pendulum shifted all the way from black racism to reverse discrimination.
Cheryl Hopwood applied for admission to the University Of Texas School Of Law in 1992. She had previously earned a degree in accounting from, achieved a grade point average of 3.8, and received a score of 39 out of 48 on the Law School Admissions Test. She was also a certified public accountant. She thought her credentials were excellent; however the school turned her down. At first she thought the admitted students must have been exceptional. However, when she went to investigate she found out she was not admitted because she was white. Apparently the schools affirmative action plan set aside 15% of the 500 seats for minorities students admitted under lower academic standards. In fact there were 12 minority students accepted who had the same or higher composite score, who were admitted,
and 84 additional minority applicants all with lower score who were admitted. Hopwood then found out she would have gotten in if she were only a minority (Eastland pg.3-4).
This is the problem with Affirmative Action today. Affirmative Action was meant to stop racial prejudice, but instead it has created a new racial prejudice.
There are many reasons why we should dispose of Affirmative Action. The first is that Affirmative Action is no longer and asset to African Americans, and minorities.
For Instance, a minority person might not work as hard in school, because they know Affirmative Action will help them get to college. This also applies to jobs and promotions. Thus Affirmative Action hinders them from living up to their full potential. On the other hand, a minority person might work very hard and get good grades and a good job without help from Affirmative action, but how are others to know that? I have even heard of some African Americans wanting to wear shirts that say, “Here on merit, not Affirmative action.” Thus, either way you look at it, a Black or minority person is no longer getting a good bargain.
As Booker T. Washington once said, "No greater injury can be done to any youth than to let him feel that because he belongs to this or that race he will be advanced in life regardless of his own merits or efforts" (Worldofquotes.com).
Next, let’s talk about how this is affecting White Americans. As we have seen in the stories of Danny O’Connor and Cheryl Hopwood there is racism against white Americans. This happens predominantly in college and the workforce. Many people are not getting into colleges, jobs or promotions because of the color of their skin. This is wrong. America is supposed to stand for justice for all, and we claim that we are no longer a racist country, but how can we say these things when people are being chosen for schools and jobs based on skin color not merit.
This mindset of color really becomes absurd when we go back to the Bible and modern science which both tell us there is only one race, and race is really only determined based by how much melanin is in our skin. So basically it really is like saying, “I am sorry Mr. Williams but we have already filled all our boxes for people with blonde hair, and yes I know you are more qualified than some of the brunettes and redheads, but we need to have an equal amount of them all.” We would find something like this to be unacceptable, but that is all the difference skin color really is.
Even more absurd is the fact that affirmative action now applies to all minority groups, when it was designed to help African Americans! This means that, all other minority groups, Illegal Immigrants and foreigners who were never slaves and to whom we do not own any special privilege to, are getting just that! The regular Hard working American is getting penalized based on his skin color, while someone under minority statues is getting a bonus just because they are of another ethnic background. Not because we owe them anything.
I now want to address the economic aspect. I spoke to a woman who did affirmative action paper work for a bank and she told me of the labor and costs that go into a program that is corrupt. We cannot estimate the financial impact of Affirmative Action on businesses and individuals, but we do know that there is increased and costs associated with a program that does support American principles.
If we were to dispose of Affirmative Action, there would still be protection against discrimination. There are many laws already in place which provide protection for blacks, women, and other minorities without affording special preference or privileges.
It is also important to note that the majority of people who benefit from Affirmative action are middle class African Americans, not the underprivileged. Affirmative action was used to help create an Black middle class when there was none. Affirmative Action has done this, and now we have a thriving Black middle class. However, because of the way Affirmative action is set up today, it is highly unlikely
any severely underprivileged African American could ever be helped through this program. In fact, now that Affirmative actions’ goal is complete and the playing field between races has been fairly leveled, Affirmative Action has begun to create separation between races and we are moving backwards instead of forward in regards to racial equality. This is why it is now the time for Colorblind Justice to take center stage. (Eastland)
Now that we have the history of Affirmative Action, and the reasons it is corrupt, we can look at the benefits our society would receive were we to ban Affirmative Action and instead use Color Blind justice.
The First is; we as a country could finally put slavery in the past. Not that we would forget, but that we could move past that wrong, and continue towards a better future.
And finally, we could take the next step in becoming a non-racist county, by not favoring any race over another, but by seeing all races as equal and accepting them based on merit not color.
I want to mention here, that I do believe racism is still an issue in America. No matter what laws we employ racism will always exist, because it is a heart issue. However having the law on the side of morality and justice, makes a huge difference in how people act toward one another.
Helping our country become a colorblind society will not be easy. If we are to succeed, it will be because the people saw its value and fought for it.
You can help promote colorblind justice and oppose Affirmative Action.
By talking to people and helping educate Americans about the dangers of Affirmative Action and the benefits of Color Blind Justice, you can affect change through the hearts of the people.
And most importantly, we need to pray that God would aid us in our cause, and that justice would prevail in the end.
In closing, I wish to say Affirmative action is a law which divides, where as colorblind justice unites. It is my dream that one day every man, woman and child in America would be able to stand together not separated by race, but united as people, and as Americans, and together proudly say the Pledge of Allegiance, where every word would ring true, as never before. Then we would truly be the United States of America. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America; and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”
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