Vinson’s Variety: Discrimination of all forms must stop
With February being Black History Month, a great deal of media coverage will be devoted to the subjects of affirmative action and discrimination in America.
This theory should hold particularly true given the recent Trent Lott incident, as well as the ongoing University of Michigan controversy.
Concerning the University of Michigan, it was revealed that minority students with inferior test scores were admitted to the school’s college and law school over white students with higher scores. Lawsuits have been filed by some of the white students who were turned down, and those lawsuits are pending.
Even President Bush joined in the foray, siding with the plaintiffs, saying, in essence, that admission to the University of Michigan should be based on merit and work achievement as opposed to ethnicity and a desired ratio among the student body.
The 2003 World Almanac lists these statistics: Of the total U.S. population, “80.3 percent” is Caucasian/white and “12.1 percent” is African-American/black, with a variety of ethnic groups rounding out the remaining 7.6 percent. With that, take into consideration the NBA.
Of the 22 NBA teams, approximately 80 percent of those rosters are made up of African-American males. The remaining 20 percent are, for the most part, American Caucasian, with an ever-growing number of Europeans emerging in the NBA.
Now, just why is it that a lopsidedly greater percentage (an 80 percent majority on NBA rosters, taken from a 12.1 percent minority of the total U.S. population, (think about it).
But what about those bleeding heart, white liberals who might attempt to demand affirmative action in the work force, that the white race be adequately represented in the NBA? Sorry, but in the NBA, the ability to perform — to win and draw the large crowds, which equates to big bucks — takes priority over all else.
Sure, quite often someone will voice disapproval over there not being enough black coaches in the NBA. Do you, however, recall there recently being any serious malcontent over too many black players in the NBA, and not enough white players? I think not.
Granted, during the early years of the NBA, black athletes were harshly discriminated against. However, such obviously is not the case in the year 2003.
Let’s get back to affirmative action and the University of Michigan. What about the hard work, perseverance, and dreams of those white students? Just exactly where would many of today’s — and past — black NBA stars be if they had been passed up in favor of white players of lesser talent? See how easy it would be for someone with aspirations to soar with the eagles to get winged and immediately commence spiraling downward, ultimately crashing?
Along with other factors common to all races, the situation with the University of Michigan indeed assures that discrimination is alive and active in America, and the quest for affirmative action often is little more than is religion tainted by hypocrisy: Abide by it when it’s suitable; ignore it when it’s suitable.
If our nation is to remain a democratic world power, where citizens can conduct their lives free of outside oppression, then it is imperative — for the greater part — that those very citizens be rewarded on merit and ability to achieve rather than by being given a handout.
(Mike Vinson is a Warren County columnist. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected].)