Affirmative Action Affirmative Action
No vote this fall, but don't expect issue to fade away
Detroit Free Press
http://www.freep.com/voices/editorials/eaff17_20040617.htm
June 17, 2004
The debate over affirmative action is certainly not going to go away even if a proposal to outlaw it in Michigan is not on the state ballot this fall. The onus will be on its defenders to do a better job of demonstrating its value if they expect the practice to remain in place for the 25 years or so that the U.S. Supreme Court predicts it will still be needed.
The organizers of a petition drive to end the use of racial preferences in university admissions and state government hiring said this week they are giving up on the '04 election and will shoot instead for Michigan's 2006 ballot. Their opponents are skeptical, bracing for a last-minute blitz to gather signatures. They will also be pressing a legal challenge to the content of the petitions, asking the state Supreme Court to reverse last week's Court of Appeals ruling that the petitions were proper.
In the meantime, while the anti-affirmative-action plan may not be in front of state voters this fall, look for like-minded people to pursue other avenues to undercut its use, including other court cases and, most recently, a legislative attempt to block state funds for universities that use it. Obviously, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling a year ago in the University of Michigan case resolved little for some folks.
This is an issue that stirs deep passions on both sides. Affirmative action is seen as an affront by some people, a correction by others. It is either terribly unfair or barely adequate, discriminatory or compensatory. It is certainly divisive and Michigan political leaders are probably glad they won't have to deal with it as a ballot proposal this year. But they shouldn't expect more than a reprieve.
Copyright © 2004 Detroit Free Press Inc.
News and Announcements | AAD Home Page