[Platt] Well said. Am I right to assume you are against race-based programs like affirmative action?
[Arlo] I am against them in a better world. Like Ant eloquently said, there is a role for programs aimed at correcting gross social injustices. While I hate the idea of "quotas", I can't help but think that those against them are so because they hate the idea of working with minorities. We need a strong dialogue to overcome this "racial divide", and when that happens let me know. I mean, I pine for the day when it truly qualified candidates who get any position, in school or in labor, and everyone is truly blind to irrelevencies like skin-color and social customs. [Platt] Also, how should we talk about the murder rate and other problems that for whatever reason are worse in black inner city ghettos? [Arlo] Like I said in the other post, you should talk about what you think are the qualifying problems. If its the "inner-city", then we can address specific ways to combat those problems. For example, the crime rate is always higher in places with high unemployment rates. Is it the concentration of impoverished peoples? Was putting all the poor in little concentrated areas really a good decision? If you use the qualifier "black", it must be because you see this characteristic as being part of the problem. I'll hope you don't side with the white supremecists who believe its a genetic inferiority. Is it then part of the "black culture"? What parts? Again, you claim the problem is the result of a failure of intellect, but why has that failure only effected "blacks" in your eyes? [Platt] Should we turn a blind eye to fact that terrorists are most likely to be Muslims and should be so identified if efforts to protect citizens? [Arlo] We have every right to be more cautious, but we should also realize how quick fear can turn into hatred. Or be leveraged to achieve political power. Vigilance, not xenophobia. Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
