Bakke
By ENRIQUE M. REYES,
The case of Allen Bakke v.
The Regents of t - tIiversity
of CalifYsrnio is h1"^t ith tin of
the ren- - -- -h de-
sirel r ,made
by' Third Worll ~--il in this
country. In short. the reforms
of the Sixties have been short-
lived.
In his arti-le in the Chronicle
of Tither Education, Dr. Carl
Cohen's main thesis that special
admissions for "disadvantaged"
minori'y students is reverse dis-
crimination and that such poli-
cy cannot work, leads him to
conclude it should be adandoned
in the name of equality.
Cohen, by attacking the special
admissions policies on the
ground of reverse discrimina-
tion, conveniently neglects the
question of racism, which is
where inequality thrives. I do
agree on the essential point that
we all desire equality, but the
main issue is the question of
the validity of and reliability
of the testing instruments used
to decide who will be admitted
to our institutions of higher
learning. The implication here
is that our testing instruments
are valid ones, but the fact is
that the validity of such instru-
ments are very much in ques-
tion.
The Michi
Edited and managec
University o
Friday, Jul
suit twists black civilrights
-Opponents of the Bakke case else, there are good andhad stu- This reminds me of my home tion tht racism .is alive and
must look at the real-question dlents in every class. Unfortu- town of El Paso, Texas. Lib- well in this "land of opportuni-
of inequality. While they are nately for Third World students, erals were arguing the prin- ty," and that the education sys-
busy making onr educational the bad students are magnified ciple of the right of white High tem is for those who can func-
institutions equal for "every- under the constant observation School students to have long tion in the white world,
lysAy" they forget that the very of neople who desire to see them hair while neglecting the hun- Third World people cannot
tools used to determine admis- fail. dred of daily iniustices in the drop off the struggle because
sions to universities lack eqoali- As I see the closing of this Chicano community. of reactionary times or because
ty and fairness. Their attack dec-ide, the oalv ouestion I ask It appears as if liberals in we are tired. For us, there can
against inequality does not go is when lwill the reactionary time of attack, retreat to the be no escape to the logical study
very deep since the racism and force shaning so come to full safe place of logical, reason- of the high moral purpose of
cnltural bias that created in- strength, and who will control able and intelligible defense of the conflict for we are the con-
eanality for Third World peo- it? a principle. They are not able flict. We have to remain in con-
ple is never questioned. The reactionary forces ap- to understand the strong stand stant struggle even if the Su-
To those who argue one must plaid every sign of the recur- against any compromise from preme Court and liberals aban-
learn to function in this society ring coolness or sobriety of our Third World people, for they don it. We are chained to that
and admissions tests show how times in our universities. Ora- do not have to face the burden struggle.
well one can function within the tors for this reactionary force of discriminatiion. It is for this It may be the central social
"mainstream of society," I must do not question the wisdom of reason they lack the spirit of theme 'of the Eighties will be
point out that the correlation their move. They just want noth- enthusiasm, not to say fanati- one dominated by reactionary
between the test and the ability ing more than the "status quo cism, which is necessary to mentality, which will permit
to function in our society is mm- ante." erase and move discrimination reactionaries to take charge of
imal. Liberals under the concern for Out of its old but secured tracks. reverse discrimination. This
. equality for all are neglecting What liberals, who dogmati- period of disillusionment will
IT IS WITH considerable dis the inequality of a society which cally defend a principle, never allow the reactionary forces to
appointment that I view Dr still very much believes in white understand is the degree of their take charge of the debate and
Charles Deleon 's quote as usedow mlii
by r. Den sta superiority. The liberals are own complicity in the crimes of once again create a 1950's U.S.
byI would not hit a dog withi aligning themselves with the re- racial discrimination. They are White America.
some of the minority students actionary forces which draw responsible for the social and All the talk of equality in spe-
soae see In rspons their strength from a negative educational injustice brought cial admissions policies is clear-
I have seen.... In response feeling of white superiority, about by our present day test- ly no more than a support to
to such a quote, I say to you ing instruments. As mentioned create another United States
that I would not hit a dog with MY BASIC assumption is the before, this type of liberal only that will parallel the "Red
some of the white students I position takens by the white lib- feels a vague need to reiterate Scare" of the 1950's, paving the
have seen in ourHistitutions erals is indistinguishable from from time to time in general way for a crusade against any-
of higher learning. However, I reactionary one. I wonder terms the high moral purpose thing that does not represent
do not wish to imply that all whether liberals in turning to of principles. the white "apple pie and moth-
t Iit saytt lepoor quahi- the reverse discrimination are erhood" mentality of the Unit-
ty. I do say that like anything in some sense turning upon I MAY SEEM ungrateful to ed States.
themselves. Such a train of the liberals, but I loath the The answer for Third World
speculation leads me .b some liberalism that doesn't see the people is that we must cling
remarkable, . though not very need to alleviate racial discrim- together to our dream of a free
e heartening, conclusions about ination. To pretend in favor of andt open society. We cannot
tgan D aily the dedicatiin to equality of the Bakke case but against dis- consider alternative ways for
some liberal educators. It also crimination, is an absurdity. we are alone. But, this disillu-
d by Students at the makes it possible for me to un- This appears no more enlighten- sion must not mean tabandon-
derstand how division between ed than to support a given arm- ed, despite such discouraging
f Michigan liberals and reactionaries has ed conflict with moral support. articles like Dr. Cohen's. We
become so insignificant. Both of To slome liberals, the admis- face a painful road ahead of us,
8, 1977 them look with terror at the sions opportunity for minorities but not as painful as giving up
special admissions criteria. Both was merely an experiment in a long and splendid dream of
of them find a common denom- - social justice of the Sixties. To equality. The empires of im-
7640552 inator and agreement in the the United States' Third World agination are the last to fall.
question of reverse discrimina- people, it was and is a dream
tion and admissisns. Both of and an escape from injustice, Dr. Reyes is the assis/ant
them imply with their argu- ignorance, and poverty. chairperson of the Conmissio
uts a need for the "status We cannot and must never for Minority Affairs at he
Iv o o o e . quo ante." waver from the strong doinvic- Uniitt'rsity.
News Phone
Death penali
Could it happen here?
lUST IN TIME to slip his new bill in under the state
" legislature's door before it breaks for the summer,
Rep. Richard Fessler (R-union Lake) proposed the death
penalty for first degree murder be re-instituted in Michi-
gan. Fessler went so far as to comment to newsper-
tons he does not feel the re-establishment of the death
penalty would serve as a deterrent to murder.
There are several sociologists who would go so far in
the opposite direr tion to say that capital punishment
only acts as an agitator -- in states with the death pen-
alty, murder rates are three times higher than those in
states without the death penalty
Fessler chooses to advance the supposed logic that
murder is the ultimate c'ime, deserving the ultimate
punishment. By using his head that way, Fessler forgets
the two pronged Pature of tur prison system.
Certainly, puishment of crminal offenses is the
basis for the penal system has we know it. But rehabilita-
tion of the convict is no le-s a priority. By using the death
penalty, only the cause of punishment would be served,
not the purpose of rehabilitation. And to deny any con-
vict the opportunity cf rehabilitation is in itself a cruel
and unusual punishment.
Fessler also neatly igsnores the fact convicted mur-
derers who serve their terms, and return to society have
far lower recidiv;im rates than those of other ex-cons.
A killer once is not necessarily a killer always.
By even considering the death penalty, the state con-
siders the train of thought that murder is allright if in-
stitutionally administered ty the government. The tak-
ing of one life suddenly becomes just payment for' that
of another. In short, the state would set a paradoxical
and ambiguous example.
Fessler's legislation is based on what he calls a per-
ception that Michigan citizens want the death penalty.
IN Yl e .. 9 L ~ 4 ~ HE I~