'Racial diversity does not create diversity of opinion' Monday April 30, 2001-- The Michigan Daily - 5 Feeling like a Natural Woman: The case for Mr: France On March 29, 2001, after a federal district judge in Detroit declared unconstitu- tional the use of racial preferences in admissions to the law school of ,the University, President Lee Bollinger decried the court's deci- sion as "an American tragedy." It is a far greater tragedy that the President of the University of Michigan advocates racial discrimi- nation in the evaluation of appli- cants to the law school and to every other division of the University. One can infer from Bollinger's support for racial preferences that he actually believes that white and Asian-American applicants who are rejected because of the skin color are not entitled to equal protection under the law. In fact, he seems oblivious to the injury these appli- cants have suffered because of an external characteristic they cannot change. Racial preferences are inherently discriminatory. For every black applicant who is admitted to univer- sities on the basis of race, there is another applicant like the plaintiff in the case, Barbara Grutfer, who is white, who is rejected on the basis of race. Racial preferences hurt people. Sometimes they hurt people badly. Bollinger and nearly every other university president around the country defend racial preferences on the grounds that they are neces- sary to achieve "diversity," which, in the absence of credible evidence, they claim enhances student learn- ing. But these same university pres- idents don't give preference in either student admissions or faculty hiring to applicants who are conser- vative or Republican, both of which are woefully underrepresented on college campuses. Surely their pres- ence in numbers approximating their percentage of the general pop- ulation would diversify the intellec- tual climate at universities far more than the recruitment of students who are told on their arrival on campus that American society is irredeemably racist and sexist and that those of them who are white are oppressors of those who are black. The dirty secret in academia is that advocates of "diversity" really don't want intellectual diversity at all. Instead, they seek a student body and faculty that is racially het- erogeneous but on political issues believes the same things, including and especially that racial prefer- ences and racial diversity are social- ly useful and morally just. By itself. racial diversity does noct create diversity of opinion. Contrary to what the mavens of diversity assume, black Americans do not think the same things, nor do they think what they think because of their race. There is no distinctive- ly "black" perspective on Darwinian evolution, the origins of the universe, euthanasia, animal- rights, capital punishment, global warming, and other issues discussed in universities. Nor is there any uni- formly or uniquely black position on preferences themselves. In California fully one-fourth of the black electorate there voted to ban them in 1996. Given the undeniable cost that Bollinger's fraudulent "diversity" exacts on white and Asian- American applicants to his universi- ty who are rejected because of their race, one wonders why, in the name of fairness, Bollinger hasn't resigned from his position as President so that the University can replace him with a member of an "underrepresented" minority. Shouldn't there be "diversity" in.a the Presidency of the University of Michigan as well as in its faculty and student body? Perhaps it is churlish to expect academics - university presidents in particular - to practice what they preach. But it would be refreshing if at least a few had the courage and integrity to endure the hardships they so blithely inflict on others. Regrettably, these university pres- idents and their allies in the media and elsewhere may succeed in post- poning the day when racial prefer- ences are finally gone. In the end, however, racial preferences will be abolished. Racial preferences con- tradict the plain language of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. They are contrary to fundamental concepts of fairness and justice that have been an integral part of Western Civilization since the Enlightenment. The American peo- ple disapprove of them overwhelm- ingly. Eventually, America will redeem the noble vision of the orig- inal civil rights movement as a place where everyone enjoys the dignity to which all human beings are enti- tled, where individuals are judged without regard to their race and eth- nicity and where a person's unique- ness is acknowledged as having nothing to do with his membership in any larger collective entity or group. No amount of posturing about the benefits of "diversity" can prevent this, - Jay Ber gman. Professor of hssoy, Central Connecticut State University A s a card-carrying member of The Press, it is my responsibility to keep abreast of current events. When I am not busy writing hard-hitting commen- taries or asking the Tough Questions, I am dutifully immersed in prestigious news publications, trying to absorb the Facts through osmosis. Every once in a while, my quest for knowledge leads me to a story so compelling that I can't help but write a column about it. Late last week, I was graced with such an opportu- nity. I am referring, of course, to the torrent of rumors alleging that Miss Universe contestant Elodie Gossuin (a.k.a. Miss France) was actually a man. Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking: "Beauty pageants? But Aubrey, aren't there more pressing global issues - such as mad cow disease - that are more deserving of your atten- tion?" Ordinarily, I would agree with you. Few things are less deserving of my 3,500 characters than a bunch of heavily primped, glittery beau- ty queens with visible abdomi- nal muscles parading around touted as a beacon of female for the enjoyment of adoles- beauty. Several years ago, a cent males and of the perverts transsexual won such a con- who took video cameras to the test in Asia, prompting the Naked Mile, but this story was paranoid Miss Universe just too good to pass folks to require up. that their contes- The rumor mill sup- tants be "female posedly started spin- citizens" of their ning on the Internet respective coun- when a French web- tries. The site claimed that Gossuin scare Gossuin was born a has resulted in biological male. At even more specif- this point, tabloid {$i terminology: writers all over the "natural born world began wetting AUBREY women." themselves with HENRETTY But not just excitement and des- R any woman can perately searching for be a Naturally confirmation. And when I say Beautiful woman, but there considered attractive? THEY'RE EYEBROWS! Honestly, if you're seriously considering eyebrow reduc- tion procedures, you've gone too far. What's next? If something isn't done, in a few years it will be standard procedure for contestants to rip off every one of their fingernails before compet- ing. Can somebody please pass the pliers? The Miss Universe people (not to mention pageant owners everywhere) should be grateful that ANYONE is willing to make him or her- self look like a "beauty queen." They can't afford to picky about trivial things like biological sex, especial- ly now that we have profes- sional women's sports, Old Navy and king size Snickers bars. If Gossuin doesn't get the crown, she shouldn't worry too much about the future; there's always room for a large pair of hands in the WNBA. -Aubrey Henretsy' column runs every other Monday She can be reached via e-mail at ahenrett@mich.edu. desperately, I mean that a tabloid paper in Puerto Rico (where the Miss Universe pageant will take place next month) was quoted as saying that Gossuin had "large hands and a scar on her forehead." Despite these damning physical features, Gossuin was exonerated by the ladies that fitted her for her bathing suit. Personally, I wish she had turned out to be a man. It wouldn't be the first time a non-female was put up on a pedestal and are steps she can take to improve her mediocre appearance. The idea is, she needs to get rid of as much of her body as possible. One way to do this is to give up food altogether, ridding her- self of unsightly flesh. Also, the body hair has to go. It is not uncommon for women to pay someone to yank out all of their eyebrow hairs and then draw them back in with a little tiny pencils. Can somebody please explain to me why this is Greece, the Pope and Western Media So the Greek Orthodox Church is vehemently protesting the Pope's planned visit to Greece this week. He is planning to pass through Greece for one day, then head to Syria, then finish his trip in Malta as he retraces the pilgrimage of St. Paul. The Greek Orthodox Church blames the Roman Catholic papacy for, in chronological order, the sacking of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade (in 1204); the fall of Byzantium to the Turks (600 years ago); the Spanish Inquisition (500 years ago); the Bolshevik Revolution (in 1917); the Third Reich (the 1930s); and the Western bombing campaign against Orthodox Serb forces in Kosovo (in 1999). Now, the Greek government, a socialist regime, officially invited the Pope; but the Greek Orthodox Church has its beefs with them as well. In fact, they have recently protested the government's moves to raise the minimum retirement age to 65 (a noble cause), while simultaneously protesting moves by the govemment to remove religious identification from state-issued identifica- tion cards (a not so noble cause). But before we go any further, let's take a look at a few of the statements circulat- ing out of the Greek Orthodox community. First, we have a certain priest in Athens who has claimed that blood-red stains have story.) appeared on the icon of the Now,i Virgin Mary in his church. that dur According to him, this is a trip, whi clear sign of her distress at the he will1 Pope's upcoming visit. where h According to The Electronic joint inv Telegraph, an abbot of a monastery on the, Corinthian Gulf said, "You don't honor a criminal, you put him in jail." Another monk from Athens has warned the Guardian Unlimited that "the faithful will take to the streets; blood could be shed.' He also sported AMER protest signs reading ZAHR "Out with the two- LA' horned beast, The Pope of Rome 666." Finally, the Associated Press reports that a streets, a priest leading a prayer at the medi Mount Olympus told his vigil, symbolc "The worst enemy of congrega Orthodoxy is coming, the asking G arch-heretic of Rome. We pray Surely, t for God to prevent this." But quickly] the quote that takes the cake is if not et from a "liberal" Greek They wo Orthodox priest in favor of the as"fund, Pope's visit who told The very we] Electronic Telegraph, no journ "Opposition within the take the Orthodox Church makes us the sam look backward, suppressive were visi and intolerant. It makes us where ti look like Christian fanatics, the Orthodox equivalent of Muslim funda- disparate mentalists." (Incidentally, media w CNN hasn't even covered this protests it is important to note ing the middle of the le the Pope is in Syria, be visiting a mosque e will participate in a ocation with Muslim clergy members. No such joint cere- monies are sched- uled to take place in Greece. For me, this whole thing raises some inter- esting points, as it is a prototypical case of an ongoing double standard in the media. Imagine this. The Muslim clergy in Syria begins to protest the Pope's visit. They lead resistance on the nd go as far as to tell ia that the Pope is the of global heresy. They ate and lead prayers god to prevent the visit. these clerics would be labeled as promoting, ngaging in, terrorism. uld be quickly tagged amentalists," and they 11 might be, although alist would probably time to find out. On e token, if the Pope ting Russia or Bosnia, he churches are also x, we would also see treatment from the ere the same types of to occur. These Greek Orthodox priests, on the other hand, are given a free pass. In other words, the same actions from countries favorable to the Western world are treated in totally different ways than they are from other countries. In fact, it would probably take much less than the vitriol expressed by the Greek Orthodox priests to incrimi- nate Muslim imams who might make similar com- ments. Of course, no Muslim clergy members have made any disparaging remarks in reference to the Pope's visit. The only such debate is in Greece. So the question for us is: why the double standard? Is it just because the Western world is Christian and we are expected to discriminately treat Muslims and Arabs in a different way? Are we not as afraid to call Muslims "fun- damentalists" as we are to call Christians the same thing? This is not to say, of course, that the media should be calling the clergymen in Greece "terrorist" and "fun- damentalist." The point is that if we are going to use certain journalistic tactics to describe those who are like us, then we should be just as responsible when we scrutinize those who are not. -Amer Zahrs column runs every other Monday He can bereached via e-mail at zahrag@sumich.edu.