The debate over affirmative action has been raging for decades, only to be reignited recently by a Supreme Court decision against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina’s policies. This ruling may establish a dangerous precedent that could have repercussions for the college admissions process throughout the country and even beyond.
Virginia’s lieutenant governor, Winsome Sears, weighed in on the issue, calling Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson a diversity hire while discussing Jackson’s dissent to the ruling. This statement seems to be based on the fact that Justice Jackson is both black and female. While it may be true that she was appointed because of her race and gender, it cheapens her qualifications and undermines her abilities to a position typically reserved for the country’s most brilliant legal minds.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the opinion for the majority that “eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it.” This is a perfectly valid point, but it simply isn’t enough. As Justice Jackson pointed out in her dissent, racism still influences the “lived experiences of all Americans in innumerable ways,” and the ruling makes that issue even worse. Diversity programs may provide a temporary band-aid solution, but the underlying problems need to be addressed before we can make any progress towards creating a truly equal society.
Of course, the evidence that affirmative action fails to close the achievement gap suggests that more needs to be done to address inequality. Even though Virginia may be a step ahead of some other states in this regard, there is still much work to be done. Lt. Governor Sears noted that the lack of education has “risen to a national crisis” and that China is already ahead in the race for world domination. If we are to remain competitve on an international scale, we need to invest more in our education system and try to provide all students with equal opportunities.
Winsome Sears on Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson:
"What you have is a justice who was chosen because she's black and because she's a woman…" pic.twitter.com/v12L6gqHLH
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 29, 2023
To that end, school choice could be an effective way to improve education and ultimately help close the achievement gap. Unfortunately, school choice on its own may not be enough. Schools must be given the resources, appropriate funding, and well-trained teachers to help students improve their knowledge and skills.
WINSOME SEARS: "The slaves did not die in the fields so we could be saying, in this century, that we are victims…They would say to us, is THAT what we died for?! No. We died for you to have an opportunity. Take it! You have that!"
"If you are a victim, that means you need a… pic.twitter.com/hXO6UCAOmC
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 29, 2023
Affirmative Action is not the answer. It may have been a necessary step decades ago, but we have come too far to go back. Slavery may have ended, but racial discrimination, unfortunately, did not. We must now focus on finding solutions that will make meaningful changes and create an equal system for everyone. We owe it to ourselves and to the generations that follow.
Jackson’s elevation to our Supreme court is a clear indication as to how our standards have fallen. Everything must be based only on merit, be it physical or mental. Nothing else. should ever be considered. Imagine the results if basket ball player recruitment were based only on race or economic status.
I agree and what a disgrace this jackson is who doesn’t seem to know what a woman is and it’s hard to say what she is being brutally ugly and full of hate.
Exactly! Jackson is the perfect example of how the standards have been lowered. She can’t even define “woman”! Nobody that ignorant should even be considered for a position in the highest court in our land but affirmative action got her in. Sad, very sad. Affirmative action is similar to the Peter Principle.
The solution to this problem of affirmative action being necessary to provide educational opportunities for under-performing groups, is to rebuild the nuclear family structures that have been destroyed, and then rescue these children from failed school systems. By allowing single mothers to become dependent upon governmental entitlements, the ancient “model” of a man and woman working together to nurture, feed, clothe, instruct, and discipline their children, was broken. It’s well-known that strong, traditional family structures give children the best chance to succeed. This is why Asians families are relatively the most successful. Clearly, these laws especially discriminated against them.
Diversity, equality: BULLS**T! Diversity destroys unity and cohesiveness. We are ONE nation under God, we are all in the same boat and if we are not all rowing in the same direction we will fail.
As for equality, we are not all equal, get a clue! We should all have access to equal opportunities, but the outcome is up to us as individuals. School choice is a good solution to ensure everyone gets an equal start, but it should come with strings. You don’t get to drag down your chosen school, if you won’t conform, if you are unwilling to do the work, your diverse butt gets kicked back to where you came from.
With the exception of the affirmative action appointees from obama and slo joe, our Supreme Court is taking steps to restore respect for the Constitution and rule of law. Their decision in this matter has taken us one small step toward a colorblind society.
President Trump did that.
winsome, looks more like it lost all.
Kudos to Winsome for speaking the truth.
The problem with true equality is that as individuals, we all have different strengths and weaknesses. Forcing a perceived strength on an individual based on their skin color is ridiculous. That doesn’t mean these individuals should not have the same rights as others, it just means they should be advanced based on their abilities. Who wants an equity hire sitting in the pilots seat on a large jet, or the surgeon cutting your gut open? Certainly there are many cases of brilliant individuals that are minorities, Ben Carson comes to mind. We should always strive for excellence no matter the color.