Supreme Court upholds use of race in university affirmative action case

I’m not sure that I agree with this decision. Discrimination is discrimination, no matter how it’s framed or how noble the purpose.

I believe that our goal is (or should be) to stir the melting pot of societal rank; to make an effort to bring those at the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder up into mainstream society regardless of race, religion, national origin, et cetera. A system designed to consider only socioeconomic rank would accomplish the same task today as race-based admissions, but remain race-neutral as our societal composition changes.

My fear is that decisions like this simply shift discrimination from one group to another and, while it may (temporarily) seem like poetic justice, maintains the divide between people who should be teammates – not adversaries.

Terrorism is about freedom

Terrorists are not attacking us; they are attacking our freedom. The freedom to think and express our thoughts; the freedom to select our own religion, or none at all; the freedom to govern our lives without interference from church, state, or others; the freedom to defend ourselves and these principles when necessary – these are what our attackers seek to abolish. Do not allow them to succeed in using our own freedoms to strike blows against us. Continue reading “Terrorism is about freedom”

Citizens United

Did the Supreme Court get it right in Citizens United?

According to the ACLU, yes. The alternative is to allow the Government to decide who can and cannot speak which, I can assure you,  is worse then allowing everyone to speak – including corporations. Also, keep in mind that these corporations – which include numerous non-profit organizations – in many cases speak for the people who are their members. These included associations of people – such as labor unions, advocacy groups, and even the NRA – whose members might not otherwise be heard individually.

Don’t think of whether or not you agree with any specific group’s opinion; think about whether you want the Government to decide who can speak and when – including YOU!

The ACLU and Citizens United