Bushs Subliminal Race Game

As Americans from every corner of the nation continue to dream of equal opportunity, once again, our dream may be deferred.

Recently, President Bush declared that the admissions procedures of the University of Michigan are unconstitutional. This decision was based upon his flawed understanding of the admissions system. The president believes that, the system awards students a significant number of extra points based solely on their race, and establishes numerical targets for incoming minority students. The truth is, that the system views a students academic record, not the students race, as the most important factor of the admissions process.

Lets look more in-depth at Michigans affirmative action policy instead of relying on the presidents sound bite. For undergraduates, admissions decisions are based on a point system that totals 150 possible points- 110 of which can be categorized as academic possible points. The remaining possible 40 points cover everything from residency - to relation to an alumnus - to participating in extracurricular activities. Now, lets specifically look at the so-called role of race in Michigans admissions process. The system credits points to applicants from under-represented minority groups or from a predominantly minority high school, which allows those from low-income families, even white students, to pick up points.

So what we have is a president who disagrees with the efforts one university is making to become more diverse, more inclusive. At the same time, this same president is covertly trying to gain support from minorities around the country by proposing increased funding for Historical Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions. President Bush states that this is his effort to ensure educational freedom, opportunity and access for every American. The University of Michigan is making an attempt to do just this in its effort to diversify the universitys educational environment. In stark contrast, President Bush seems to be more interested in ensuring educational freedom, opportunity and access to every American in separate education quarters.

President Bushs recent actions can only be seen as a covert effort to reverse Brown vs. Board of Education, which desegregated schools, and an attempt to implement the ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson- separate but equal. President Bush has blatantly chosen to disregard the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution, which provides every American equal protection- guaranteeing educational freedom, equal opportunity and access for all citizens.

As your Representative, I will not tell you how to think, feel, or react to this piece or President Bushs actions. All I can ask of you is that you consider the latest actions of our president and pay close attention to the race game he plays- the game that may very well end a practice of increasing diversity at many institutions. Unfortunately, this dangerous game of race and politics that our president is playing with education may turn back the clock on social progress and improved relations between the races.