All men are equal but some men are more equal

Lynne Martinez, a volunteer for One United Michigan (OUM), launches several baseless attacks against the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI). While outlining the hypocrisy of affirmative action is merited, I find debating with supporters is futile. Their arguments are summarized nicely in George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” - “All [men] are equal, but some [men] are more equal.”

Rather than debate affirmative action, let’s evaluate one of several misleading points Martinez makes. She attempts to cast the MCRI as an attempt by outsiders to impose their agenda on Michigan. Conveniently, she fails to mention the MCRI was started by University of Michigan Professor Dr. Carl Cohen, Michigan State Representative Leon Drolet, and Jennifer Gratz. Gratz is the woman, supposedly one of the beneficiaries of affirmative action, who was denied access to U-M because of racial preferences promoted by Martinez. Apparently in her world of “equality”, race trumps gender.

For obvious reasons, racial preference advocates cannot legitimately argue the “more equal” nature of their position. Therefore they seek to cloud the issue with irrelevant matters.

[Letter to the Editor - Lansing City Pulse. Published 03/08/2006]