One day, America will be able to burn Jupiter for fuel.
Made In America
From Scottish Parts
Aaron’s Entire Universe Collides With Itself
6:00 pm, 11/12/05
[Greetings, Instapundit readers: To clue you in, the joke here is that I'm a real live Southern Illinoisan, an Illinois conservative who was born about 15 minutes from SIU in Williamson County and had also lived there for the last 22 years, though I evacuated to Binghamton, New York literally last week. For a little background, SIU is sometimes jokingly known as "Little Chicago" due to the huge percentage of the student body that comes down from one of the only two outposts of liberalism in the state. Remember to poke around the blog, today's other greatest hits include the continuing burning of Paris and the latest on Somalian pirate attacks, and if you're an Illinoisan, you'll especially want to enjoy the regular heckling of Governor Corruptevich, for whom my white hot loathing continues to burn with the fire of ten thousand exploding suns despite being safe on a frozen hilltop a thousand miles away. Ya'll come back now, ya hear?]
My, my, how stereotypes of the South have changed: In a story that has everything, the DoJ is cracking down on academic discrimination against white people and men, not to mention "non-preferred minorities" (IE Asians).
President Bush's administration has threatened to sue Southern Illinois University, alleging its fellowship programs for minority and female students violate federal civil rights laws by discriminating against whites, men and others. . . .Chancellor Walt Wendler (who I've met, friendly guy) says he doesn't think it's discriminatory, and the school wants more time to discuss with the feds, but the fact is the programs simply hand out big wads of cash to, as one program terms it, "traditionally underrepresented" minorities, and "traditional" and "really" don't always add up.
"The University has engaged in a pattern or practice of intentional discrimination against whites, non-preferred minorities and males,'' says a Justice Department letter sent to the university last week and obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The letter demands the university cease the fellowship programs, or the department's civil rights division will sue SIU by Nov. 18.
The Web site describing the Bridge program specifically says it is only open to members of underrepresented minority groups. Several white women who have "overcome hardship" have been awarded the Graduate Dean's Fellowship, even though women outnumber men at the university. White men need not apply, however. "I'll be upfront with you -- no white male will get this award,'' McNeil said....SIU attorneys, overhearing this virtual confession, immediately blackjacked McNeil, yanked his phone out of the wall, wrapped duct tape around his mouth and locked him in the trunk of their Cadillac. Barack Obama isn't too happy, either:
In a move Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said "just doesn't make sense," the U.S. Justice Department charged that three SIU programs that aim to increase minority enrollment in graduate school exclude whites, other minorities and males, in violation of Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act.Right, "everything it can". As a thought experiment, let's imagine that we create a government-sponsored cash prize handed out just for being a white man, to "defend the traditional educational dominance of the white man against the rising tide of color and estrogen at SIU".
A spokesman for the Justice Department's civil rights division declined comment Thursday, but Illinois' junior U.S. senator ridiculed the maneuver as a "cynical" bid to distract public attention from Bush's sagging popularity.
"One of my concerns has been with all the problems the Bush administration is having, that they'll start resorting to what they consider to be wedge issues as a way of helping themselves politically," Obama said.
"If anything, the White House should be doing everything it can to encourage more engineering students and Ph.D.'s. It strikes me as a completely unnecessary and divisive move and one that I think may be pretty cynical in its motive," Obama said.
Racist! Sexist! Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton sharing tearful hugs! They'd be right, too. This is an easy question, and Obama, incredibly, gave the wrong answer, which is supremely ironic because of the speech he gave at the Democratic National Convention, catapulting him to national celebrity:
Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy; our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."......"to take back the White House, YEEEEARRRGGGH!" Now he suddenly can't figure out why anyone would be opposed to "slicing up" a student body on the basis of race? I guess if there's someone who's denied access to graduate school assistance because they have unacceptably low melanin levels or are outfitted with the wrong genitalia, that does not threaten Obama's civil liberties, does not matter to him, and, in fact, "makes sense". Of course, the persona the Democratic Party created for him to present nationally had nothing to do with the real Obama, but it was meant to look good and position a relative nobody as a bigtime somebody, since his incredibly lopsided Senate race was destined to be one of the few clear Democratic victories in 2004. Frankly, one could attribute cynical motives to the Big O himself: No one wants to take this money away, just make it available to everyone, regardless of race or gender. What's Obama's problem, he a man-hater or something?
If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for their prescription and having to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandparent. If there's an Arab-American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties....
Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America. The pundits, the pundits like to slice and dice our country into red states and blue States: red states for Republicans, blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red states. We coach little league in the blue states and, yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq, and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.
SIU is actually behind the game: Many other schools, including the University of Illinois, have wised up and opened up their fellowship programs. One of the three programs in question at SIU actually does have a qualifier that requires the minority student to "overcome hardship", but if there are really hardships that deter minorities from getting into SIU graduate school, then wouldn't an "overcoming hardship" program open to all races and both genders naturally include more members of "traditionally underrepresented" groups? Don't caucasian males have hardships to overcome, too? If you prick us, do we not bleed, Senator?
Winning the hereditary lottery and becoming an involuntary member of a group based solely on your genetic code does not entitle you to anything, that's why we did away with the feudal concepts of noble title in the first place, and there is no provision in the Civil Rights Act that allows the oppression of or discrimination against certain minorities. That was the point, Barack.
Update: LaShawn Barber has more to say.
Update: Fellow expat Southern Illinoisan Small Town Veteran: "It's about damned time."
at 07:47 PM, 11/12/05
Its simple- white women outnumber white men at universities. You CANNOT give them affirmative action policies anymore. Maybe you needed it 30-40 years ago- but not now. I dated a female doctor who told me how she benefited from these policies- she grew up in a comfortable middle class family. Ridiculous
Its simple- white women outnumber white men at universities. You CANNOT give them affirmative action policies anymore. Maybe you needed it 30-40 years ago- but not now. I dated a female doctor who told me how she benefited from these policies- she grew up in a comfortable middle class family. Ridiculous
big dirigible at 11:14 PM, 11/12/05
"...how stereotypes of the South have changed..."
Is Illinois really Southern? Even Southern Illinois?
"...how stereotypes of the South have changed..."
Is Illinois really Southern? Even Southern Illinois?
Aaron at 11:39 PM, 11/12/05
Big Dirigible: In as much as that was half-joking (that now Southerners are accused of discriminating against white people and men?), yeah, that's more or less why Illinois is the way it is: The southernmost portion of Illinois was settled first, by Southerners, and when Illinois was made a state, the border was extended something like 40 miles to the north (land that was then total wilderness) in order to give it a border on the Great Lakes in order to give it an economic interest besides the Mississippi so that it might not secede from the Union if it came to that.
Later on, when the railroad came, it became a conveyor belt to dump northeasterners into the Chicago area, but the rivers kept the railroad out of Southern Illinois for some time. So, when the Civil War came, the first thing the State of Illinois did was roll the militia into the lower tier of the state, a lot of Southern Illinoisans left to enlist in Tennessee (one went on to become Governor of Mississippi after the war), and Williamson County, where I'm originally from, tried to secede all by itself, hoping other counties would come with them. (Obviously, this was a bust.)
In practice, in the old days, northern Illinois kept trying to secede to Wisconsin because they were hugely outnumbered and felt alienated by Southern Illinois, and today Southern Illinois keeps flirting with forming their own state because the place is run like an imperial colony by Chicago (climaxing in recent years with the redistricting that guaranteed that Southern Illinois did not have a single United States Congressman to call their own). A bit more here.
Big Dirigible: In as much as that was half-joking (that now Southerners are accused of discriminating against white people and men?), yeah, that's more or less why Illinois is the way it is: The southernmost portion of Illinois was settled first, by Southerners, and when Illinois was made a state, the border was extended something like 40 miles to the north (land that was then total wilderness) in order to give it a border on the Great Lakes in order to give it an economic interest besides the Mississippi so that it might not secede from the Union if it came to that.
Later on, when the railroad came, it became a conveyor belt to dump northeasterners into the Chicago area, but the rivers kept the railroad out of Southern Illinois for some time. So, when the Civil War came, the first thing the State of Illinois did was roll the militia into the lower tier of the state, a lot of Southern Illinoisans left to enlist in Tennessee (one went on to become Governor of Mississippi after the war), and Williamson County, where I'm originally from, tried to secede all by itself, hoping other counties would come with them. (Obviously, this was a bust.)
In practice, in the old days, northern Illinois kept trying to secede to Wisconsin because they were hugely outnumbered and felt alienated by Southern Illinois, and today Southern Illinois keeps flirting with forming their own state because the place is run like an imperial colony by Chicago (climaxing in recent years with the redistricting that guaranteed that Southern Illinois did not have a single United States Congressman to call their own). A bit more here.
at 11:56 PM, 11/12/05
With luck, this may be the first shot in the counter counter-culture wars. Racial set-asides, gender pandering, chivvying homosexuals into every crack (no pun), has long been the policy of incompetent academics bent on disguising themselves by exalting special-interest cohorts at the expense of any potential competition.
Two sets of studies: The first asserts that since the late 1980s virtually every senior academic administrator in this country began his career as a draft-dodger from Vietnam. The second set concludes that proportions of female and "minority" students are inversely related to alumni distinction and financial support. In other words, the more quota-based you are, the worse your graduates and the fewer your resources.
Like European socialism, policies that eat seed-corn always seem viable for about a generation-- until it's gone. Then, not only has socialism emptied granaries, but it has left nothing for any future harvests. Of course, this is always someone else's fault, and so: To war, which is what collectivist Statists wage best.
So after forty-one years, the "Justice Department"
has noticed "reverse discrimination"? Dear me! Bit late in the day, wouldn't you think? I can't wait until the East Asian/Oriental analog of Obama Baby rises to address the Senate and tells this dupe straight-out that there is no inherent virtue in descent from Kenyan goat-herders after all. Match our kids without your doofus prejudices, he'll say, and we'll see whose come out ahead.
With luck, this may be the first shot in the counter counter-culture wars. Racial set-asides, gender pandering, chivvying homosexuals into every crack (no pun), has long been the policy of incompetent academics bent on disguising themselves by exalting special-interest cohorts at the expense of any potential competition.
Two sets of studies: The first asserts that since the late 1980s virtually every senior academic administrator in this country began his career as a draft-dodger from Vietnam. The second set concludes that proportions of female and "minority" students are inversely related to alumni distinction and financial support. In other words, the more quota-based you are, the worse your graduates and the fewer your resources.
Like European socialism, policies that eat seed-corn always seem viable for about a generation-- until it's gone. Then, not only has socialism emptied granaries, but it has left nothing for any future harvests. Of course, this is always someone else's fault, and so: To war, which is what collectivist Statists wage best.
So after forty-one years, the "Justice Department"
has noticed "reverse discrimination"? Dear me! Bit late in the day, wouldn't you think? I can't wait until the East Asian/Oriental analog of Obama Baby rises to address the Senate and tells this dupe straight-out that there is no inherent virtue in descent from Kenyan goat-herders after all. Match our kids without your doofus prejudices, he'll say, and we'll see whose come out ahead.
at 03:19 AM, 11/13/05
LaShawn has more to say? Is that the only one?
LaShawn has more to say? Is that the only one?
Timothy at 11:48 AM, 11/13/05
As a fellow Saluki, it saddens my heart to read about the DOJ charges. SIU is probably one of the best run universities and its graduates are very top notch and competitive with Ivy league graduates.
On the face of the scant information, it appears both entities have done something stupid. SIU is at fault for not using their excellent faculty to develop a felowship program that is the model for the nation. DOJ for spending resources on something that isn't much of a problem to the people of the US. But that's now water under the bridge...
Hopefully, both parties can resolve this dilemmma and bring forth a new idea in the best interests of our nation.
BTW - I'm a military program graduate with a BS in Workforce Education and Development (WED). I completed most of my classes at McGuire AFB, NJ and took my last class at Travis AFB, CA , after returning from a year in Korea without my family. The degree has made all the difference in my post-military civilian life. I finally had the opportunity to spend a hour or so on campus during a trip back from St Louis.
As a fellow Saluki, it saddens my heart to read about the DOJ charges. SIU is probably one of the best run universities and its graduates are very top notch and competitive with Ivy league graduates.
On the face of the scant information, it appears both entities have done something stupid. SIU is at fault for not using their excellent faculty to develop a felowship program that is the model for the nation. DOJ for spending resources on something that isn't much of a problem to the people of the US. But that's now water under the bridge...
Hopefully, both parties can resolve this dilemmma and bring forth a new idea in the best interests of our nation.
BTW - I'm a military program graduate with a BS in Workforce Education and Development (WED). I completed most of my classes at McGuire AFB, NJ and took my last class at Travis AFB, CA , after returning from a year in Korea without my family. The degree has made all the difference in my post-military civilian life. I finally had the opportunity to spend a hour or so on campus during a trip back from St Louis.
Aaron at 01:35 PM, 11/13/05
Timothy: I agree that SIU is well-run, and people can be proud of going there. SIU clearly doesn't have malicious intent with these programs, but I disagree with your assertion that "it isn't much of a problem to the people of the US". These are millions of dollars in funds, and they're being handed out solely on the basis of race. That's a problem, and it's just plain wrong, no matter which race it is.
The DoJ sat on their hands for a long time after the courts ruled on these matters and gave schools time to change their programs around. The University of Illinois was one that did. SIU did not, and apparently, they weren't paying attention, because they're reacting as though this is a total surprise. All they have to do is stop the part that hands out cash prizes for being the "right" race, and the problem is resolved.
Timothy: I agree that SIU is well-run, and people can be proud of going there. SIU clearly doesn't have malicious intent with these programs, but I disagree with your assertion that "it isn't much of a problem to the people of the US". These are millions of dollars in funds, and they're being handed out solely on the basis of race. That's a problem, and it's just plain wrong, no matter which race it is.
The DoJ sat on their hands for a long time after the courts ruled on these matters and gave schools time to change their programs around. The University of Illinois was one that did. SIU did not, and apparently, they weren't paying attention, because they're reacting as though this is a total surprise. All they have to do is stop the part that hands out cash prizes for being the "right" race, and the problem is resolved.
at 02:26 AM, 11/14/05
I'm blond-haired and have had no great difficulties in my life.
Even so, since race-quota proponents are so determined to see only skin color, and would ram it down the throats of others via judicial fiat, I would like to cite 1896 Plessy vs. Ferguson to claim my scholarship.
Scholarships are expensive. Save me money...I am of "one-drop Negro blood" as a 1/64th black man, legally black. When do I start?
I'm blond-haired and have had no great difficulties in my life.
Even so, since race-quota proponents are so determined to see only skin color, and would ram it down the throats of others via judicial fiat, I would like to cite 1896 Plessy vs. Ferguson to claim my scholarship.
Scholarships are expensive. Save me money...I am of "one-drop Negro blood" as a 1/64th black man, legally black. When do I start?
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