DAVID GAD-HARF, executive direc- tor of the Jewish Community Council of Metropolitan Detroit: "Similar to the position the board took in 1998, the JCCouncil opposes the use of quotas as a tool to achieve affirmative action. However, its position states that a race-conscious program addressing the negative effects of past discrimination are not only legiti- mate but should be encouraged as long. as race is just one of many factors considered." Some of the principles he says the JCCouncil wrestles with over this issue include: What's in accord with Jewish values? What will build a strong American society in the best interest of the Jewish community? RABBI LEE BUCKMAN, head of school at the Jewish Academy Metropolitan Detroit. "It's important to look at this issue not in terms of how it will benefit or hurt Jews, but how it will benefit or hurt Americans or, more specifically; minorities." University of Michigan students Jason Coben, left, and James Gonzalez pass by students protesting President Bush's position against affirmative action outside the student union in Ann Arbor on Jan. 16 ROBERT BROWN, of West Bloomfield, local president of the American Jewish Congress. "We shouldn't need a court to tell a university that diversity is a fundamental requirement in today's society. We're liv- ing in a global society, and if our colleges and uni- versities are not preparing our students to live and work with people of different cultures and back- grounds, they're doing us a great disservice." JOANNE WATSON, 51, of Detroit, U-M student activist and graduate, for- mer head of Detroit's NAACP, national talk show host, running for Detroit City Council. "My life was definitely transformed forever as a result of my attendance at the U-M from 1968 1972. U M will return to its pre affir- mative action status lacking meaningful diversity without the affirmative action policies." - - - JEREMY BARUCH, 17, of West Bloomfield, student at the Jewish Academy of Metropolitan Detroit. "As Jews, we should be a light unto the nation. It's a Jewish value to help disadvantaged, and many who get affirmative action are disadvantaged." JOSH DISKIN, 16, of West Bloomfield, student at the Jewish Academy of Metropolitan Detroit. "Instead of focusing on ethnicity, focus on socio-economics. But my problem with affirma- tive action — I'm not a believer of fighting fire with fire. It's using reverse discrimination to fight discrimination. Instead go to the focal point of the problems and help the disadvantaged public school systems." 2/28 2003 12 says his father was a victim of anti-Semitic dis- crimination. U-M's vice president and general counsel, Arbor. He adds that though the university has Marvin Krislov of Ann Arbor, who also chairs "honorable motives, it's morally wrong." Washtenaw County's Jewish Federation U-M student Lana Gersten, 19, of Ann Arbor Campaign, agrees. "The Harvard cited by the reflects more the ambivalence of a generation that Bakke case had a very different program that used didn't experience quotas, yet she strongly supports neither quotas nor set asides nor separate tracks the need for affirmative action. She says the uni- for minority enrollment. Race was one factor versity should improve the point system so it among many to be considered in admissions," he doesn't look like a quota system. "I'm not sure if it says. is or isn't a quota system, but I do support it," she "The idea of a quota is a red herring," says the says. U-M uses a 150-point system to determine chairman of U-M Board of Regents, Laurence undergraduate admission. Deitch of Bingham Farms. "The U-M admissions Attorney Terrance Pell of the Center for policies do not involve quotas of any types. And Individual Rights (CIR) in Washington, D.C., no one 'owns' a place at U- representing the three students who have sued the M, and thus no admitted university, says that U-M has student has, in that sense, a narrow numerical range taken the place of anyone to achieve every year" — else." minority admissions "It's not a quota system," between 10-17 percent. He says Robert Brown, 47, of says it's "the functional West Bloomfield, Detroit equivalent of a quota." metropolitan president of the Pell adds that Harvard Sharona Mary in Laurence American Jewish Congress. University in Cambridge, Shapiro Kris lo v Deitch "Yet people continue to Mass. — cited as a model focus on a system that allows for bringing diversity to the African Americans in. higher education campus in the last major affir- "Some of this [focus] is racism," he says. mative action case, Bakke vs. University of "There's a reason why every statistic demonstrates in 1978 — has a history of using quo- California this is the most racially segregated metro area in tas against the Jews. the country. It's very easy to live here in your own Thirty years ago, Harvard used geographic quo- enclave, which reinforces the argument of why you tas as a way of suppressing northeastern Jewish need diversity on college campuses like U-M." students and increasing male Anglo Saxons, he Yet, the ADEs Kellman said she believes "the says. university has an unconstitutional use of race." "This was a shameful part of our past, just like She adds that she never wants to see immutable Lempert, the Eric Stein Richard racism is," says characteristics, like race or religion, be used to distinguished professor of law and sociology at U- admit or not admit a person into a university. M. "But this has nothing to do with affirmative "Though we applaud the university in what action — or racial affirmative action." Lempert AFFIRMATIVE ACTION from page 11 "