By Jennifer McKean
Arizona Daily Wildcat
December 2, 1997

Black & Blue

Arizona Daily Wildcat Jennifer McKean

Every time I convince myself that we are striving to delete racism in this country, or at least that we as a society are reaching toward that ultimate goal of superior thinking, I am consequently denied access to something because of my race.

I'm not black, Hispanic, Asian or any other kind of minority group. I am white, and more often than most people will admit, I'm faced with situations where I am treated as a minority because my skin is not dark and I have no visible traits of a distinct heritage.

Our society is not grasping that goal of superior reasoning, and we are not even close to being treated as equals, because people don't know what to do with the idea of equality. In a perfect world, we wouldn't prejudge people by the color of their skin, their sex or their ethnic background. We are each different and unique, but no race is better and no race is worse.

Once we get that idea into our heads, we will be ready to proceed with the intellectual advancement of our society. As for now, we are completely misguided on how we should deal with the issue. Affirmative action is one way the leaders of this country and 82 percent of the minority population believe we will solve the problem of racial discrimination we have today.

I believe that many years down the road, affirmative action might make a positive contribution to our ways of thinking, but I'm not willing to spend my lifetime feeling the effects of minority integration for the future good of the country. Maybe I am selfish, but we are on the wrong track with this issue. The initial intentions of affirmative action might have been good, but the immediate drawbacks are detrimental.

Affirmative action discriminates against all of us. It discriminates against me when I apply for a scholarship based on either my merits or my financial need, but I am denied because I am white. Does the fact that I am white mean I have more money than a minority and, therefore, I don't need financial assistance? I am insulted and a minority student should also be insulted because a financial classification was made about them based on the color of their skin. Qualified non-minorities are losing positions to under-qualified minorities.

Secondly, minorities are discriminated against by affirmative action. How would you feel if the only reason you were accepted into law school was because you were a minority? I'm sure many of you wouldn't care because you still got what you wanted. But what about the rest of you with a higher standard of ethics? Wouldn't you feel that it is an injustice to be accepted into a program based solely on your minority status and not your academic status or your achievements? You would be nothing but a statistic to that program. Hardworking minorities are also wounded by affirmative action. They are often looked down upon because of the preferences people assume they have received.

An individual who supports affirmative action asked people to think about the one percent of males who have cases in court claiming discrimination by reverse discrimination. She compared that percentage to the percentage of white males who are CEO's of major corporations, the percentage of white males who have been president of the United States and the percentage of white males who are employed, period.

If you absolutely feel the need to classify people by percentages, think about the number of minorities living off the welfare system. What about the percentage of minorities that drop out of high school or the number of minorities that make a career out of violating the criminal justice system? You are only disadvantaged to a point, and then you become responsible for your own life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

I don't use my race to get me places in the world. I believed that race was irrelevant until I realized what reverse discrimination does to people. Should we encourage our children to do worse in school, because there will be little correlation between achievement and success? Is this the message we want to be sending them?

Affirmative action perpetuates racism in America. It is the fuel behind all discrimination. Organizations that give preference to certain people not only separate those individuals from society, but it draws in bitter hatred from those excluded from the organization.

Affirmative action hurts the hardest working people in our society. It shows them that we can't be a society free of racial preferences. It indicates to us that we need a law in order to make us "equal." It shouldn't matter where you come from. The best man wins, right? Young people need goals to work toward. Only the most qualified people should be granted positions with organizations, scholarships, etc.

What about many of the minority clubs on campus? You have to be a minority to join those organizations. I would never want to be in a club that discriminated, because it only sacrifices our unity and separates us by race and ethnicity. But what if I started my own new club, the University of Arizona White Man Club? Anyone who wasn't pure white American could not enter the premises. All hell would break loose on campus. Every minority would be claiming discrimination. Why then do I have to meet racial criteria to get into one of our many discriminatory clubs here at UA?

It's not right. We are lucky to attend a diversified university, but let's not forget who we really are. We are more than superficial colors. Giving minorities opportunities and giving minorities preferences are two different things. We should be fighting against discrimination, not encouraging new ways to invent it.

If "All men are created equal," why do some always get preferences?

Jennifer McKean is a junior majoring in journalism.