Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site looking.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!looking!brad
From: brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton)
Newsgroups: net.women,net.politics
Subject: Re: Discrimination and AA and Racism
Message-ID: <292@looking.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 14-Jun-85 00:00:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: looking.292
Posted: Fri Jun 14 00:00:00 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Jun-85 07:29:58 EDT
References: <489@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP>
Organization: Looking Glass Software, Waterloo, Ont
Lines: 33
Xref: watmath net.women:5826 net.politics:9414
Summary: 

Thanks for posting those definitions.  They defined racism as
a philosophy that asserted some form of superiority or inferiority
to a certain race.  They also said racism is any policy or action based
on that concept.

Now AA is a program that states that certain races are downtrodden,
discriminated against and hurt.  It states that this quality, which
should be pitied is inherent in the race.  It says, "Because your skin
is black, you are downtrodden and thus must be given special status"

Not because you were downtrodden in some time in your life, but simply
because your skin is black, or you have a double X chromasome.

When you consider this, AA fits the published definitions of racism
rather well.   It asserts that members of a certain group, simply by
membership in that group, are entitled to special status and rights.
It states that hiring policies should be directed by this thought.

Perhaps you are confused because AA does not assert that blacks
are superior to whites in a physical sense.  Instead it simply
says they should be treated better by the law, because they should
be pitied.  A difference perhaps, but an important one?

------------
On another note, the federal government has recently rejected a
proposal brought on by a committee looking into affirmative action.
This proposal called for wage police to make sure of equal pay for
work of equal value.  Instead, in a typical government way, they
are calling for AA, but will create no enforcement agency.
Better than having to watch out for the wage police, I guess.
The thought police would not have been far behind.
-- 
Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. - Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473