Voting No on 2

[tlatoani]

Edited: I made this public because people have linked to it, and I had it as local friends-only. Apologies to people who aren't from these parts, but I didn't want folks to follow a non-functional link. NOTE: This is about a ballot proposal in the State of Michigan, in the US. If you don't live here, please don't use it as a guide for your own

Comments

[ellameena]

I am not always happy with the way affirmative action is applied. Some of the programs I've seen are very bad. For example, at Michigan State, every black student in the college of education and in the college of engineering received a half point grade boost. At the university level, where most people end up having a 3-something GPA, that's huge. The boost went into effect after the teachers turned in their grades each semester. It was horribly poisonous and caused all sorts of bad feelings and divisions between students. Is it really a 4 point average, or a 3.5 in disguise? I would hate to have people wondering that about me

[uplinktruck]

"Prop 2 will definitely impact programs that most everyone approves of, such as scholarships for women and minorities, or charities or social services that cater to women and minorities."

That is not true. You've fallen for a PR fantasy created by opponents of the amendment.

Allow me to quote the entire amendment: "The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education or public contracting."

As many times as I've read that by now, I still can't find any word or phrase that would have any effect on private scholarships, charities or social services. In fact the language strictly limits the amendment to public employment, public education and public contracting.

[ellameena]

Most scholarships go to students attending public universities, so yes this will be affecting them. All it takes is for a white male student to look around and realize that there are scholarship programs he is not qualified for on the basis of his sex or race, and that will be the end of them.

[uplinktruck]

Not under the amendment as it's written. Most scholarships are privately funded. The amendment will have no effect any privately funded scholarship.

However, if there are state funded scholarships, they will go to who ever is most qualified regardless of race or sex. As it should be with public money.

[blue_duck]

Thank you for taking the time to write this out - it's helpful. It actually supports what I was leaning toward anyway, but I didn't feel I had enough knowledge or could coherently support it. Also, hearing it from someone with your particular experience is I think especially relevent.

[sorcycat]

I do not believe that affirmative action prevented this woman from getting in. Affirmative action helps women as much and possibly more than it helps non-whites. Btw, only about 5% of the classmates in my major were women. I'm seriously afraid that we'll get even less women going into computer fields.

[jaegamer]

I'm with you, brother.

I'm going to be so glad when the TV isn't full of lying, brutal ads from both sides...

[kittentikka]

I generally find what you say interesting. I also like local politics even when it belongs to other people. Thanks for writing this out.

[tlatoani]

You're very welcome.

For some background that may explain my personal comments at the end, here's a National Public Radio piece summarizing the court rulings in the admissions lawsuits. Those suits are what led the national organization against affirmative action (I forget what they're called) to pick Michigan as its next battleground.

Oh, yes -- the campaign in favor of Proposal 2 has been heavily, and almost exclusively, funded and masterminded from out of state.