Affirmative action doesn't have to be a zero sum game

If the only things I knew about Proposal 2 were that it “sounds as if Thomas Jefferson himself might have conceived it” and that Dick DeVos and Jennifer Granholm opposed it, I would side with the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence.

Fortunately, I know some facts that further my support. Contrary to Laura Berman’s claims, outreach programs wouldn’t be wiped out. The University of California still maintains programs that assist minorities and women. For example, the goal of UC’s Louis Stokes California Alliance for Minority Participation is to significantly increase the number of degrees granted to underrepresented minority students in science, engineering, and mathematics. In addition, UC’s Society of Women Engineers conduct programs such as Girl Scout Day to “expose the world of engineering to K - 12 grade girls.”

California proves that affirmative action does not have to be a zero sum game. Vote yes on Proposal 2.

[Letter to the Editor - The Detroit News. Submitted 10/26/2006.]