Powell's 'filthy' legacy should not be forgotten

Last week, retired Supreme Court justice Louis Powell died of pneumonia at the age of 90.

I will always remember Justice Powell as the swing vote on the court that was responsible for one of the greatest injustices in the history of this country. Since the civil rights laws were passed in 1964 establishing the right of all people to equal justice under the law, there had been those who attempted to use these laws as a cover for inflicting racism and discrimination against white males.

Quietly, programs and policies began to sprout up all over the country giving preferences of one kind or another to women and minorities. Even though such policies flew in the face of the civil rights laws, they were allowed to continue. What Judge Louis Powell and the Supreme Court did in 1978 was to give legal sanction to these racist policies.

The Supreme Court basically established two classes of individuals in this country, women and minorities who are accorded unconditional protection from discrimination in all facets of society, and white males who are denied such rights.

Today discrimination against white males is rampant . From school admissions, to scholarship awards, to business recruiting policies, white males are routinely discriminated against. We have grown so accustomed to this, that it is hard to imagine our country without affirmative action.

We must stand up together and end to this filthy legacy of "justice" Louis Powell.

Jeff Burhans

UA alumnus