Affirmative action is nothing more than reverse discrimination. There was a time, I suppose, that it was necessary in order to reduce the effects of slavery in this country and to give black children a leg up in the college process. This has morphed into reverse discrimination in that students are selected, and denied, based on the color of their skin. The NAACP, UNCF, and every other organization that supports blacks were up in arms when there was discussion about ending affirmative action. They believe that it is racist to end a discriminatory program that doles out college seats based on race. In other words, so long as they were getting the benefits it was not considered racism or bigotry.
In the state of Maryland a new kind of affirmative action plan is in the works. The state wants to offer in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants, the euphemism for ILLEGAL aliens. This is a sort or affirmative action in that everyone else must play by the rules; whites, blacks, legal immigrants, they must all pay the tuition rates appropriate for their situation. Giving ILLEGALS a leg up, in effect, reduces the number of seats available to any other group of people. This new affirmative action does not sit well with some blacks who see their race as the only entitled one.
Former Governor Robert Ehrlich and his wife Kendall host a radio program on Saturday mornings on WBAL. Democratic Delegate Emmett Burns called in to that show to explain why he voted against the bill that would give ILLEGALS the advantage. According to Burns the program would take seats away from African American students who he claims are under represented in the state colleges. I will not debate those claims because that is not important to the argument though I would venture to guess that blacks attend college at a higher percentage than their percentage of the population in the state.
In any event, Burns decries the fact that another group is getting the advantage. Later in his call he explains that “to offer a benefit to illegals is wrong” the fact is, he misses the point completely. To offer a benefit to anyone based on a special category (in this case immigration status, in other cases race) is just wrong. I am not shocked but I am dismayed that Burns would cry that the unfair advantage that blacks enjoyed is being taken by another unfair advantage. I would have agree with him if he had said that entitlements based upon race are bigoted and racist and should be eliminated completely.
I do not know Burns but I imagine he would be one of the first to scream foul if the state had tried to eliminate affirmative action as a “wrong” practice. He only objects because he feels it hurts African-American students. The truth is offering special treatment to ILLEGALS hurts all individuals who are here legally and, in essence, make the taxpayer foot the bill for the ILLEGALS and for their own children.
Perhaps now that Mr. Burns has seen the light on the bigotry of affirmative action, he can join in the fight to eliminate the racist practice completely.
Source:
WBAL
