Part III: From Content of Character To Content of Melanin

Conservatives opposition to affirmative action and race based preferences is one of the biggest reasons why conservatives are branded as ‘racists’ by liberals. Conservatives are only trying to realize the dream of Dr King. Equality can never exist when there are different rules for different races. Conservatives opposed discrimination of minorities throughout history, and we oppose discrimination of non minorities in the present. This is not about black or white; it is about fair or unfair, right or wrong, and equality or inequality.

Affirmative action is not only unfair, it can be dangerous! Look no further than the New Haven Firefighter case that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor ruled on. Qualified white and Hispanic firefighters were denied promotion because no blacks would be promoted as well. Do we really want less qualified firefighters protecting us from an inferno? How comfortable would you feel on a plane if the pilot was hired because of his or her skin color, not his or her flying ability? Most Americans want a police force that protects them, not one that is ‘representative of the community’. How would that conversation go?

Captain: “OK Chief, we’ve got a position to fill on the anti-gang unit. Who should we fill the position with? What about Lt Jones? He has the top scores in the department in almost every category.”

Chief: “No let’s go with Lt Smith”

Captain: “Smith sir? But Smith doesn’t run very well, and his test scores are subpar.”

Chief: “Yeah but he will help the department’s diversity image”.   

Conservatives believe in merit based preferences, not race based preferences. There are no differences between the races other than skin color. Skin color should not be a reason to deny nor accept someone. Conservatives want to get past the lefts obsession with race. Everything is seen through race colored glasses, a far cry from a color blind society. There will always be some bigots in the world that hate people of other races, but those people continue to be more and more rare. The world is not and will never be perfect, the government should not legislate inequality to try to heal the scares of our sad past. This will only succeed in deepening the wound.

Affirmative action is not only unfair to non minorities; it does not do minorities any favors either. It is an insult to minorities to say they need extra help, or lower standards. That is just a more subtle form of bigotry. Conservatives know that minorities can be just as successful in life without demeaning them with ‘preferential treatment’. Why do people of color need lower standards? This implies minorities are somehow not as capable as non minorities. Minorities do not need special treatment, only equal treatment, something we will never have as long as affirmative action is practiced.

Affirmative action hurts the very people it tries to help. Unfortunately, the accomplishments of minorities are tarnished by affirmative action. Minorities in high positions will always be under a cloud of suspicion that their achievements came as a result of their skin color. Most minorities do not need affirmative action to be successful and the fact that minorities are given preferential treatment waters down their success. Another unintended consequence of lowered standards for minorities is that unqualified minorities are put in positions that they are unprepared for, which can be counterproductive to the original goal. If a person gains admission to Harvard with inferior test scores but cannot pass classes and is unable to graduate, is the person better off?

Conservatives seek a ‘color blind’ society; affirmative action supporters see everything through the prism of race. Because we refuse to buy into the idea that minorities need extra help in life we are considered racist by some. Merit based preferences are not racist, they are fair. They treat all people, all races, equally based on the individual’s qualifications.