Yesterday, Missouri House members in support of Affirmative Action held a press conference in Jefferson City to express their opposition of an anti-Affirmative Action ballot initiative being pushed by a group calling itself, rather ironically, the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative.
State Rep. Talibdin El-Amin (D-St. Louis City), one of the organizers of the event, told PubDef that this issue is not just about reserving jobs and spots in higher education for African-Americans. He contends that the entire country benefits from diversity.
“We wanted to convey that this is not solely an African-American issue,” said El-Amin. “We’re trying not to be reactionary… trying to make sure people are being educated as to the deceptive language that is being used.”
El-Amin went on to say that he expects any bill attacking Affirmative Action to receive strong Democratic opposition, and that he has spoken to some Republican lawmakers that he has worked with in the past that will also “be inclined to support” Affirmative Action.
While opponents contend that Affirmative Action programs have outlasted their usefulness, El-Amin couldn’t disagree more.
“You can look at the numbers, and there is a disparity. It is obvious that you need some type of remedy,” he said. And he will continue to feel that way, “until they can show me some numbers” to the contrary.
May 9th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Affirmative action is definitely making a difference in the black community. Since affirmative action has taken place in the black community along with the end of segragation, blacks have less black owned businesses, blacks have less unity, blacks have fewer black leaders, blacks have more blacks participating in urban sprawl to run from blacks in the black community, blacks have more crime than ever in the black community, blacks have more killings in the black community, blacks have the highest numbers of people incarcerated, blacks have the most children up for adoption, blacks have the most children in juvenile, blacks have the most children dropping out of school, blacks have the worst healthcare, blacks have the worst disease outcomes such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, high cholesterol, chronic whiteitis (stress caused by some white men), and blacks have more hopelessness about the future of blacks making it as blacks in the future!
Affirmative action has been around for a long time, so has re-naming highways, and baking soda, and if anyone thinks that piddling around with these things will fix the black community from Jefferson City, then maybe they need to come back home to the black community.
Affirmative action thinking black elected officials can lose reality in Jefferson City with all the grassy fields, blue skies, loneliness, cattle, and country people up yonder!
NO FURTHER COMMENTS YOUR HONOR!!!!
May 9th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
So the right-wingers have decided on their next phony ballot issue designed to drive like-minded people to the polls. Guns and gays are so last year!
I wonder if these guys will ever get serious about public policy.
May 10th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Affirmative action is disastrous. It’s, I believe, the number one reason for LOSS of jobs. I wouldn’t place a business in the city.
(I would like too, in fact, I would love to place a business in the city.) But I’m white. All I would be is a target for lawsuits.