<p>not to change the direction of the tide here-</p>
<p>both my kids, at one point or another in their education, did a paper on affirmative action. Interesting research, interesting points made. Both papers, if I recall, addressed the Michigan Law School incident- which went all the way up to the supreme court. As part of the testimony of record (bill, forgive me if this is not the legal term) addressed the practices of the USNA and USMA in the admissions process of making allowences based on minority status. The decision was split, but it allowed the continuation of the use of minority consideration as ONE factor in the decision to offer admission, howeve made it very clear it could not be the SOLE factor in the decision. {as an aside, as the academies fall into the latter category with the “whole person score” ]</p>
<p>Anyway- added to that was a very insightful opinion offered by Justist Renquist (cannot recall if he was the minority opinion or the majority- but you fine folks can look that up)…anyway, his opinion recognized the injustice inherent in affirmative action, yet the need to uphold it for the SHORT TERM. He did state that affirmative action has run its course, and within 20 years of the decision would no longer be “justifable.”</p>
<p>I think this speaks back to one part of what Flemming’s article alluded to- that the lines of race are increasingly blurred, that with time we will be “one race.” Perhaps that is the grand design.</p>
<p>Not to venture off the topic too far…but will share this interesting note of fact. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory- world renoun- headed by Watson- the co-discover of DNA. Won a nobel prize for it. Headed the lab until just recently, when in his 80’s (and still involved in mapping the human geomne project at CSHL) he made a comment when presenting at a scientific genetic forum re: race, that there is a genetic explanation for IQ differences between black and white. (please folks- not my opinion, so please don’t shoot the messenger!!!) Anyway, it cost him his postion at the lab and no doubt added a good deal of tarnish on his otherwish highly regarded brilliant career.</p>
<p>As life often has some interesting twists and turns, a story came out a few weeks later, this one mapping Dr Brown’s own genetic makeup- and surprise,surprise, (no doubt to him) his genetic makeup was black and white! Gotta love the irony!</p>
<p>Anyway- back to my point- or should I say what I got from Flemming’s point- if we all traced our genetic markers back, I bet there would be a lot more surprises then we can fathom…so I think Renquist had it right- it is just a matter of time before it is one big huge happy family,and perhaps then we can all move past this.</p>
<p>As for the paper… both kids took a bit of a different tack… i think one even argued that “white” was the new minority… anyway, the arguements fell flat, and both got no better than a “C”… interesting enough, both teachers were from other ethnic groups and no doubt did not appreciate their take on things. </p>
<p>Whatever. No easy answer. But looking forward to the day nevertheless.</p>
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<p>USNA69- please leave the " BMW driving lacrosse playing affluent suburbs" out of it. First of all, they aren’t driving BMW’s, and second, the majority of them are far from the affluent suburbs. ALL of them have earned their way to their appointments and ALL will graduate and will be just fine out in the fleet. And togehter, they will bring another Patriot League title to the USNA… an unbroken record. Lacrosse is a small world… getting bigger and bigger, but it is a small community nevertheless, and I know most of them for a good 15 years now- and that stretches far beyond USNA- name a college or university that has D1-2-3 lacrosse and I can cite you the bio of at least one of their players. You have no knowledge of these kids- where they come from, what it took to get them to where they are- so unless you are going to join Flemmings rants that athletes are the “set asides,” go peddle that opinion elsewhere.</p>
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