Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!gargoyle!carnes From: carnes@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP (Richard Carnes) Newsgroups: net.women,net.politics Subject: Re: Discrimination and Affirmative Action Message-ID: <475@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP> Date: Mon, 3-Jun-85 12:47:13 EDT Article-I.D.: gargoyle.475 Posted: Mon Jun 3 12:47:13 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 5-Jun-85 00:02:43 EDT References: <338@unc.UUCP> <> Organization: U. Chicago - Computer Science Lines: 29 Xref: watmath net.women:5490 net.politics:9227 In article <> brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) writes: >I will always maintain that my skin colour and other non-competence >related characteristics should not be considered in passing judgement on >me. Affirmative action doesn't require anyone to pass judgment on you on the basis of your race or sex. It makes your race or sex one criterion among others for the employer's decision on whether to hire you, within the specific context defined by a particular AA program. >Anyone who states otherwise is a racist by most definitions of that >word. I don't care what their goal is, they are still racists. This is our old friend the argument from name-calling. It generates heat rather than light, so could we please refrain from using it on the net? In my everyday encounters with people, I treat women and blacks somewhat differently from white males, that is, my knowledge of a person's race or sex can and usually does affect my actions in some way. Part of the reason for this difference is my knowledge that both groups suffer from deep-rooted and tenacious prejudices in our society, and that this is an important factor in the life of each individual woman or black. This does not mean that I have judged the individual to be better or worse merely because he or she is black or female, and I don't see how it makes me a racist or sexist. Richard Carnes, ihnp4!gargoyle!carnes