We don’t need help being fair
IN recent years, the public has been berated by ideologues about how we must forcefully create a world that applies the mechanism of “equity” to bring upon arbitrary numeric proportionality — because they believe Americans are incapable of naturally producing fairness.
With their disbelief in our moral capabilities, institutions like universities have taken it upon themselves to be “societal saviors” through the policy of affirmative action.
But in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court has rejected that role — saying that choosing college enrollment based on race is a violation of the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.
“A benefit to a student who overcame racial discrimination, for example, must be tied to that student’s courage and determination,” wrote Chief Justice John Roberts in his deciding opinion. Roberts continues: “Or a benefit to a student whose heritage or culture motivated him or her to assume a leadership role or attain a particular goal must be tied to that student’s unique ability to contribute to the university. In other words, the student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual — not on the basis of race.
“Many universities have for too long done just the opposite. And in doing so, they have concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”
We cannot advocate for “equal treatment” when some are allowed to be discriminated against. Discrimination does not correct past discrimination; it just continues a cycle of unfairness.
The days of penalizing someone for what they were born as and had no control over, like their race, sex and ethnicity, were supposed to be of the past. Affirmative action remained a relic, and should have long been discarded.
Lower expectations
Universities kept pretending race-based admissions would bring us fairness, but in many ways it has brought unfair skepticism of aptitude for minorities. It has helped to create an environment of doubt when a nonwhite person flourishes — assumptions that their achievements were given instead of earned.
We have lowered expectations for people who are more than capable of greatness, and accepted mediocrity for the sake of parity.
As I was reminded of numerous times as a child, life isn’t fair, but it should not stop us from pursuing fairness. And oftentimes, fairness creates outcomes that look different than what we initially presumed.
If one of our nation’s greatest sins was walking the path of discrimination, then how would it have been possible to move forward with affirmative action?