Regent Connerly goes to Florida with anti-affirmative action plan

Tuesday, January 26, 1999

Regent Connerly goes to Florida with anti-affirmative action
plan

Ward Connerly is at it again; this time he’s taking his
anti-affirmative action show on the road to Florida. Connerly, a
regent for the University of California, authored the California
bills SP-1 and SP-2, which ended affirmative action at the UC. He
was also a leader in the fight to end racial preferences in
Washington through the passage of Initiative 200 this past
November.

Connerly’s efforts demonstrate his growing obsession with ending
affirmative action at the university by spreading his dogma to
other states. The initial effects of Proposition 209 and
Proposition 200 show a decrease in minority admissions throughout
the UC system. The long-term effects on diversity cannot be fully
measured yet, but we have no doubt that they will forever alter the
quality of receiving a higher education.

Though Connerly does have a right to campaign for political
issues despite his UC regent title, his political agenda has become
his first priority. The UC system has problems that need solutions;
Connerly should focus more of his energies in California and not in
other states.

Furthermore, Connerly is on a crusade of misinformation. In
California, Connerly named his bill the California Civil Rights
Initiative, leading many voters to believe that the bill would
promote civil rights instead of ending affirmative action. The
wording of Proposition 209, as well as Initiative 200, was just as
misleading. Now, in Florida, Connerly has the gall to compare his
anti-affirmative action battle to that of Rosa Parks, whose refusal
to give up her bus seat to a white man became a catalyst for the
civil rights movement. Such a comparison is an insult to anyone who
has, is or will fight for civil rights.

Even Connerly’s fellow conservatives condemn his efforts.
Florida Governor Jeb Bush spoke against Connerly’s plan, saying
that it has "a lot of heat but no light." Perhaps Connerly should
work to amend the problems he’s caused in California before he
wrecks a vital aspect of higher education in other states.

Pie throwing not effective protest

Thumbs down to the three members of the Biotic Baking Brigade,
for throwing pies at San Francisco mayor Willie Brown when he was
giving a speech last November. Despite efforts of the brigade to
introduce a professional clown as a witness at the trial, the three
were convicted last Tuesday of battery charges. The three were
protesting the mayor’s policies on homelessness through their
"pastry uprising," as member Rahula Janowski called it.

Though not every form of protest must be waged in total
seriousness, throwing pies is not the type of protesting which
offers any potential solutions to the homelessness problem.

Sticks and stones might break Willie’s bones, but pies will
never hurt him. (Unless of course, he gets hit by a pie tin).

Public humiliation might be effective with pies, but real change
comes about with words and less childish forms of action.

Cheaters never prosper

Thumbs down to the statement of Academic Integrity authored by
the Clemson University student government, which reaffirms the
university’s policy against "lying, cheating, or stealing in any
form." While the university is not trying to instate an official
honor code like those at the University of Virginia, Vanderbilt or
Washington, the policy did come out of a concern over a lack of
structure in the current cheating policy.

The policy sounds nice, but it is really an unnecessary measure.
Such a hollow, empty and obvious statement will not do much to
enforce honor at the university. Students already know, or they
should know, that lying, cheating and stealing are intolerable
acts.

Thumbs up/Thumbs down represents the majority opinion of the
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