Ramsey of the Seattle Times gets it right on democrat neo-communist attempts to gut I-200

You all remember I-200, don't you? What a battle THAT was. Leftist neo-coms beating themselves with chains over the idea that helpless minorities would be denied entrance to our esteemed institutions of higher learning if they were not given privileges based on the accident of their birth... by gender or race. Huge companies, such as Boeing (whose racist policies have caused them a great deal of heartburn in various civil/federal courts) came out swinging against I-200.... huge media conglomerates such as those owning the ABC affiliates in both Seattle and Portland shed blood against this initiative. The owner of the Seattle Times, violating every ethical standard concerning newspaper ownership. forced his editorial staff to blast I-200 at every opportunity, joining with the opposition to use fake facts and figures concerning enrollment, and predicting total gloom and doom results... none of which were determined to be true, should this Initiative pass.

I admit, I have a peculiar position on this issue... my 19 year old son is a sophomore attending the University of Washington in Seattle, majoring in computer science and computer animation. He is also... half Asian.

In the world of the leftist neo-communist, my son needs all the assistance he can get. Why, the very idea that he would be considered for admission to the UW based entirely on merit... is PREPOSTEROUS! (Or, "outrageous," as my learned neo-com colleagues say)

I suppose it helped that he was an honor graduate of his high school... that he was in the top 5 percent of his class. Imagine... he managed all of that in SPITE of being a "minority!" Will wonders never cease? Despite the burden of his racial heritage..... he got in ANYWAY.

I wonder why.

But you know what? The answer to that question really doesn't matter. What matters is that the people of this state have spoken. What matters is that, without our permission, a bunch of do-gooder ultra-leftists are going to ignore the loudly spoken word of the voters of this state, and gut the intent of Initiative 200 vis the issue of enrollment into college.

In ignoring the will of the People, these ultra leftist democrats strike a blow for voter apathy. In ignoring the will of the People, these ultra leftist democrats, all in the name of political correctness, reach out and SOLVE A PROBLEM THAT ISN'T EVEN THERE! Every minority classification at the UW shows the same, or greater participation by minority populations... a feat deemed impossible by the regiments of politically correct naysayers a few short years ago.

That said, times have changed at the Times. Bruce Ramsey, editorial columnist for that newspaper, spells it all out far better then I ever could.

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Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - Page updated at 12:00 a.m.

Diversity, preferences and the race/class debate

Bruce Ramsey / Times staff columnist

The spokesmen for state colleges gathered in Olympia Feb. 10 to testify for the return of affirmative action. They came from the University of Washington, WSU, Evergreen State, the community colleges and the HEC Board. They all said the same things, in the same, odd language.
They were for diversity, a thing that was warm and unthreatening.
"This legislation would benefit all students," said the woman from the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges.

An admissions officer quoted Abraham Lincoln. A professor waxed lyrical, saying the return of racial preferences would be "a gift to our students, a gift to our state, a gift to our state's future."

How was this to be done? Through setting aside certain seats for certain races? By giving points for certain chromosomes? Absolutely not.

"Not points. Not quotas," said Rep. Phyllis Gutierrez-Kenney, D-Seattle. The bill only authorized state colleges to consider race and ethnicity as a factor.

More....

I have little doubt this sorry effort will not pass, brought to you by the same people who ignored the will of the voters when they jammed a gas tax down our throats. But that doesn't make it right... or necessary.