Hillary on Affirmative action

[jcscuba]

June 23, 2003 Statement of Senator Hillary Clinton Re: Supreme Court’s Decision Upholding Affirmative Action


Today, the American ideals we cherish: freedom and equal opportunity for all were upheld by the Supreme Court's 5 to 4 decision. This single decision will help millions of Americans continue the path toward progress so that our institutions of higher learning, our government, military and our places of business large and small continue to reflect the diversity of our great nation.
I am pleased that the Supreme Court today upheld the principles behind affirmative action, holding in both Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger that diversity in higher education is a compelling state interest that can justify the use of race in university admissions. In Grutter, the Court noted the benefits of diversity "are not theoretical but real," not only for the benefit of all students in higher education, but also to ensure the success of American corporations in an increasingly global marketplace and the strength of our military.
Indeed, as the amicus brief filed by our military leaders argued, "a highly qualified, racially diverse officer corps . . . is essential to the military's ability to fulfill its principle mission to provide national security." The affirmation of the importance of diversity by our nation's highest court is a victory today not only for the University of Michigan and affirmative action, but for all Americans and our democracy.
In deciding on the Michigan affirmative actions cases, the Court also made clear that as a country we need to work toward a racially neutral admissions policy in the next twenty-five years. In order to reach this goal, it is imperative that we do more to focus on closing the achievement gap between minority and non-minority students in our country so that all students have the opportunity to learn to their highest potential and have equal access to higher education.
We took the first step when Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act, which for the first time in the history of federal education policy we expressly adopted a goal of closing the achievement gap and held schools accountable for progress in closing the achievement gap. Now, more than ever, we must make the investments in this goal and equip schools and communities with sufficient resources to ensure that minority students continue to make progress.
For millions of Americans, affirmative action has knocked down the barriers of the past that prevented them from attending college, law school, serving in the military, or working in our country's leading companies and the small businesses in our hometowns and neighborhoods. When our public places are as diverse as our great nation, then our country grows stronger and we move closer to the America we dream about.
On Thursday, I look forward to discussing this topic further at the joint Senate Democratic-CBC African American Leadership Summit and listening to what activists and leaders have to say about the Court's important decision.

[LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This No Hillary For President Forum Link. | [LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This No Hillary For President Forum Link.

[fredflinstoned]

Of course Hillary failed to mention that the Supreme court ruled by a narrow margin,and nearly invalidated all affirmative action programs.
Also most people fail to realise that affirmitive action by political definition does not always qualify for the under privilaged,it also delves way to far into the private and social lives of the people.

[WiseOne]

Fred,

That's one of my biggest beef's with Hillary in the first place, she is wanting to delve FAR to deep into the private lives of the people, she thinks SHE has the answer and to hell with you and I. I disagree with affirmative action in any form (black, white, red, woman, gay, whatever). I think ANY college admittance should be done sight unseen, (on merits alone) and the person should not state ANYTHING about him or herself whether they are black, white, etc. Hillary speaks out of the wrong end at times is what I'm afraid.

[Herb Schaffler]

"the Court also made clear that as a country we need to work toward a racially neutral admissions policy"

Affirmative action is not a racially neutral policy. A racially neutral policy would be one in which race is not looked at in admissions.

[fredflinstoned]

I also feel that the court has been somewhat to blame,primarily because theyve failed to properly explain their ruling to allow affirmative action,at least on the Constitutional level.
I mean on the one hand they narrowly allowed it to continue,while at the same time they ruled that affirmative action must be narrowly tailord to meet a compelling governmental intrest.
Of course such intrest of the government has to be for the benefit of the people directly,but most affirmative action programs go against the majority of the public policies,instead those discisions are being promulgated by corporations as such private entities are controlling the political system,often hidden under the disguise of State and Federal agencies,and departments,so while their rules are set by those entities they must be recognized as having the same effect as law,though the rules by passed the legislative government.
To me its nothing more than a government running amock allowing the States to violate the Seperation of Powers clause.

[fredflinstoned]

Originally Posted by Herb Schaffler

"the Court also made clear that as a country we need to work toward a racially neutral admissions policy"

Affirmative action is not a racially neutral policy. A racially neutral policy would be one in which race is not looked at in admissions.

It appears to me the policies of affirmative action was partially born out of ignorance sparked by de-segragation,the later allowing the fuel to create affirmative action in part to control.
rather than being given an equal grounds of education,and jobs,in some instances it allows abuse,as theyve adopted new rules to go along with it,such as filling qota's,I know for a fact that some of the U.S's largest employers hire non-white female workers in order to fill two qota's.
[footnote]
most people should realise that durring the eight years of Clinton's office it was Hillary that amassed the nation with such affirmative action policies,Bill to me was just way to dumb to have known what he was doing,I mean the damages done in his eight years will take decades of our childrens generation to fix these policies that can literally destroy an individuals freedoms,and liberties,take their livelyhood away from them,and extort the individual into submission.
I dont want to beat a dead dog,but c'mon Bill was disbarred from practicing law before the Supreme court of the United States,that should tell you that all of those policies he put into place needs to reviewed again Constitutionally,Ive found many Constitutional issues with the policies that Im amazed are being ignored,of course very few of these cases go beyond local lower courts,in which the Judges are often other political candidates including mayor's,and county councilmen.

[nohil-billy]

If you check out the cover of Hillary's book; "It Takes A Village," of all the children on the cover I could not positively identify one child as a white male. This tells me all I need to know.

[Brickman]

Originally Posted by Herb Schaffler

"the Court also made clear that as a country we need to work toward a racially neutral admissions policy"

Affirmative action is not a racially neutral policy. A racially neutral policy would be one in which race is not looked at in admissions.

I do not fill out the race info on loan apps or other similar documents. If it has a box to mark saying I don't want to fill it out, I mark it. If it doesn't have a box to mark then I leave it blank.


1 its none of their business and should not even be being asked.

2 since race is supposed to have no bearing on whether or not I get a loan why do they even ask?

[nohil-billy]

You're absolutely right Brickman.

Black people got a raw deal in this country for centuries and the black male got screwed through the seventies and eighties by the quotas enacted by democrats to try to square past indiscretions, but that was over 20 years ago. Todays black child has all of the opportunities as anybody else in society.

It's the likes of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson who have gotten rich breeding hatred that has held the blacks back.

My best friend is black and has five beautiful and very talented children. His oldest two are in college and his three youngest show every indication of setting the world on fire when they get older. Why? Because he knows the importance of education and channels them into activies where they show promise. I've never had more respect for anybody than I have for him.

It's easy to blame "whitey" for everything bad in your life when you don't succeed. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have made it a "cottage industry" and have gotten rich doing so. And the democrats are not ashamed to exploit this behavior as long as it leads to votes for themselves.


I suggest reading Juan Williams book "Enough." He hides behind Bill Cosby but hits the nail on the head.

[lenahan]

Affirmative action is not equality, but backwards discrimination. People used to turn away blacks for jobs and schools. Today, blacks get preference. It was wring to turn away blacks, but not whites? what happened to equality? to equal opportunity? to a merit based system? what happened to equality?