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Show llll NATHENTOFF Students share BLM concern (continued from page 10) Un fort unately that seems to be the case . The message t h at t h ey shouted to t h is studen t is that I don't have t h e rig h t to help or participate in th e organ ization of the GSENM because my pocket book isn't large enough. Yet they are trying to prepare a plan for the management of this area where thousands of people like myself venture every year. Wouldn't you think that they would want to include those people who frequ e nt this area and who want to see it managed properly so that they can continue to enjoy their visits? I don't know if the money that was brough t in from having t his con £erence goes to t he school or not, but it would be sad to see an institution that provides learning opportu nities to its stu dents succumb t o t he idea that profits measure the importance of the ed u cational experiences for students. I don't believe that the b lame shou ld be on the school for t h is incident but I believe that the school did not have the students' interests in mind when they invited the BLM to come here for the purpose of educating people more about th is amazing and beautiful area, the GSENM. foseph Larsen Taxes are to help, not hinder • This letter is in response to the subsidized scholarships and Pell commentary by Glenn Halterman Grants . published in the Nov. 13, issue of Mos t , if not all law schools, the fournal. prohibit first-year l aw students While it is true that you have a from working. Student loans don't taste for writing terrible poe try, cover everyth ing. They don't even your grasp of the government for a come close when you have a family. political science major is severely The truth is that the government lacking. I wou ld suggest that you realized the needs of the people to attack t he so ca lled 'gift ' of the receive aid and incentive for their original G.I. Bill. higher education. I realize that you Along the lines - - - - - - - - - -- - --. disagree with the of your reasoning, decision that was this gift was illegal made by Congress and should there.I.. 4 in creati n g t hese fore be revoked . programs. But to Never mind the O answer the quesmany thousands of tio n you h ave of World War II ..,. why people are 1 1 veterans who were 1 0 .&. 1 , entitled to your able to create a life money, it is which is worth becaus e you are living because they entitled to theirs. Taxes, regardless got free schooling and financial aid. of their origin, Better yet, revoke have been raised all such privileges, in order to promote especia lly that the general welfare nasty little VA of the people. If it Loan Guara ntee. were different, And what about then people could most sch olars hips J O choose a voucher at s t ate sch oo ls ? system where they 1 Where do you could decide think your stipend .I:' where they wanted their tax monies at the paper comes fr om ... Moth er ~ spent. Goose? In closing I will not ask that you reYour salary comes from state think your position, because it would subsidies. I doubt that you have any probably hurt that 3SP (squirrel idea of how many of your favorite power) brain of yours. I would just teachers here have benefited from like to say that it has been my federal funds in education. experience that those most willing to For your next article I would give of themselves are those who have suggest that you to explain how the least material wealth to share. you might live while attending I sincerely hope that you are never school wit h a family, without the in a position where you are forced to ben efi t of a decent paycheck or a accept what you consider charity. trust fund . Perhaps if you are You would only rationalize it and planning on attending law school make someone else's efforts a like so many other political science mockery. majors, you could tell me how you fustin Evans expect to live without federally ,,.,.,QXeS, regard1ess f the •r •g •n have been ra1•sed to promote t h e general Jrlare f We t h e peonJe. COMMENTARY • M- . , , ,,.,.. . . • ..., The inevitable end of affirmative action In 1964, Congress became a bitter action law in the state of California. battleground during a debate on a civil The Supreme Court has not decided righ ts bi ll that was so fundamen tally whether equivalents of Proposition 209 clear that no one, including racists, could will be t he law of the land, but the court distort its meaning anywhere in th e has steadily displayed a rising degree if country. Opposing it were some of the hostility to race-based prefe rences in same forces that had tried to block civil public contracting, in the firing of rights activists in the Sout h and teachers in Michi gan fo r th e sake of elsewhere. Supporting the bill were the divers ity , and in redraw in g electi on American Civil Liberties Union and districts. This term, the Court is almost various black and white civil ri ghts certain to strike down a case (Piscataway Board of Educa tion vs. Sharon Taxman ) organizations. Hubert Humphrey, the voluble and involving the laying-off of a high-school sometimes courageous senator from teacher solely because she is white- the Minnesota, was a prime advocate of the schoo l board preferred to keep a black bill. And on t h e floo r of the Senate, teacher. answe ring doubts and objections, he Deval Patrick, the former assistant pl edged that if it became law , this attorney general for civil rights- and an measure would give no - - - - - - - - - - - - --. insi s tent supporter of preference to anyone affirmative action-says that those of us who do because of skin color or for any reason. ,· not agree with him As passed, this was and beli eve that "o n ce is t he text of the Civil slavery w:ts end ed , Rights Act of 1964: "No nothing more had to be person in the United done." States shall, on the t::,' That's a remarkably grounds of race, color or • crude misunderstanding national origin, be of the fact that a good exclu ded from parmany of th e civil ticipation in, be denied libertarians and an tithe benefits of, or be r ac ists are c onvin ced subject to discrimination that affirmative action under any program or .&. • is u n constitutional. activity receiving federal Suprem e Court Ju stice financia l assistance." William 0 . DouglasThirty-three years the most libe ral later, the same groups · member of the Court in that applauded t he Civil its history-emphasized Rights Act of 1964 are that affirmative action now vigorously opposing was against the equ alCalifornia's Proposition protection-of-the-laws 209 which says: "The claus e of the United state shall not discriminate against, or States Constitution. grant preferential trea tment to, any Speaking, for exa mple, of co ll ege individual or group on the basis of race, admissions, Douglas wrote that "decisions sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in should be made on the basis of individual the operation of publi.c employment, attributes, rather than according a public education or public contracting." preference solely on the basis of race." But Douglas insisted on outreach-on Can you see any difference between the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Proposition fi ndi ng people who had s uc ceeded in 209 (which is ca lled the Civil Rights overcoming barriers, whether of racism, In itiative of 1996)? or of poverty in the Appalachians. And on There is no difference. But there has that basis, disadvantaged Americans of all been a change of perspective by the civil races, male and female, should have their rights organizations and the ACLU. In. the backgrounds taken into account for years since 1964, the doctrine of college admissions and in other areas. affirmative action-which does provide Ward Connerly, the " fath er" of preferences on the basis of race and Proposition 209, has said again and again gender-has been regarded as an essential that there ought to be outreach to all who tool toward achieving equality of need more active attention and support to opportunity between the races and enable them to move toward equality. between men and women. And that approach is entirely But affirmative action is nearing the end constitutional. But th e ACLU and black of its life . The voters of California and white civil rights groups keep trying, approved Proposition 209 , and its al most desperately, to hol d on to constitutionality was affirmed by the affirmative action. But it's slipping into Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals despite a obsolescence. Houston recentl y kept fierce attack by the ACLU and its allies. affirmative actio n, but the wind is Now the Supreme Court of the United blowing the other way. States has refused t o review the Ninth Circuit decision, thereby leaving Nat Hentoff is a nationally syndica ted Proposition 209 as the anti-affirmative columnist. 'T'h.ere h'as been a ChQDO'.e of perspective by . . the civil ·1·ghts org·anizations d th e an ACLU., - |