On Ricci and race
Sorry, I don't like the headline, Court rules for white firefighters over promotions. It sounds so...1950. I'll admit that I've never been a fan of affirmative action. I believe in individual rights for all, not group rights. The men, regardless of race, were given ample opportunity to study and prepare for this test. If they didn't perform well enough on the test to warrant promotion, the people who did shouldn't be punished (isn't that sort of the basis for No Child Left Behind?).
Race should never, absolutely never have been brought to the forefront in this case. The City of New Haven owes an apology to all sides. It is a matter of merit, nothing more.
You can read the opinion here.
Comments
You mean the City of New Haven. Someone has Kelo on the brain!
I still haven't read the opinion, but as I understand it all the decision did was say that the city will now have a defense in any disparate impact lawsuit that could be filed against it based upon this test. The city was worried before that if it applied this test that seemed to disproportionately disqualify minorities, then they could get sued. So now, they have a new legal defense in such a case.
It's not quite the big explosive race discrimination decision that everyone is making it out to be. Disparate impact claims have always been a controversial part of the Civil Rights Act.
Posted by: Sara | June 29, 2009 12:12 PM
Ha! Thanks!
Posted by: Jason | June 29, 2009 12:14 PM
When anyone is promoted or demoted based on ANYTHING other than qualification,ability,production and or performance it is discrimination ....
Don
Posted by: Don Henderson | June 29, 2009 03:56 PM