Haiti Alternative
A JOURNAL OF HAITIAN POLITICS
Oppose Bush's One Florida Plan
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Florida Governor Jeb Bush's One Florida, a plan announced in November to end affirmative action, is an initiative that Floridians, particularly minorities and women should oppose strongly. Chiefly because this plan will prevent minority groups from achieving their potential. One way to challenge Bush's executive order is to mobolize and support efforts to prevent its implementation.
Many people were not astonished when they heard the announcement. They could not have expected anything better from an elite member of the conservative establishment, which has committed resources and used its seats of power to deny qualified minorities equal opportunities to achieve their goals. Although Bush could legally use his executive order power to end affirmative action, he acted impetuously when he tried to do so.
While the First, 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution guarantee the civil and political rights of all citizens, equal opportunity is far from being achieved due to racism. Prejudice against any group is wrong, yet it still happens. So the question we need to ask is: Can we achieve a color blind society in which equal protection under the law, equality of opportunity in employment, and education are guaranteed regardless of ethnicity, religion, or ideology, when racism is practically institutionalized within mainstream society?
Conservatives like Bush would argue that the law prohibits discrimination and people need to stop talking about racism. Instead, they need to exercise civil and political rights and explore the equality of opportunity offered by this country. Though unsound, this is a valid argument because the above mentioned amendments guarantee civil and political rights, and discrimination based on color, race or gender is outlawed.
There is no equal opportunity despite the fact that most people accept it. Equality of opportunity can be measured by examining equality of outcome. When we look at the number of minorities living below the poverty line and know the percentage of people of color who hold professional degrees, then we know that there is no equal opportunity. It was easier then to confront racism when discrimination was obvious. But now, despite the fact all discriminations are against the law, racism is institutionalized and practiced subtly. While open discrimination can be challenged in courts because it violates our constitutional rights, we can do nothing when representatives of an institution deny us equal opportunity due to our race or sex. There is nothing wrong with Bush's use of executive power, but affirmative action as a federal policy is too crucial to be striken down by Bush's pen. If Bush succeeds in eliminating affirmative action, minorities and women will be the ultimate losers.
Last month State Senator K. Meek and another colleague staged a sit in at Bush's Tallahassee mansion to protest his plan. Bush backed off and called for public hearings on the matter. Now, affirmative action backers need to concentrate on his plan and its potential passage. Meanhile, they should work tirelessly to defeat any future initiatives. The US Supreme Court, given its obvious conservative orientation, with seven justives appointed by Republican presidents, will most likely end affirmative action if it is submitted for review. We need to educated a new genaration of minorities. We must lobby local commissions, state legislatures and Congress to provide funds to develop academic programs which will allow minorities to achieve their potential.
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This article was reprinted from the Beacon, 8 February 2000 with the author's permission.
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