Letters to the Editor: The Supreme Court’s conservatives are deluded on race and affirmative action
I know some of my conservative friends are disappointed at the Supreme Court’s decision last month. They are frustrated that the court’s 5-4 decision was not to their liking. Most of them are upset about four justices who voted against them. Justice Samuel Alito, who was one of those who voted to stop the affirmative action case from being heard at all, is unhappy with his own party. He made his displeasure known to me last week.
I know my conservative friends are dismayed over the court’s ruling in the Brown v. Board of Education case. They are disappointed over what seems to be a deliberate attempt by conservative justices to stop affirmative action. As one friend put it, “You can’t get more right than that.” Another friend expressed his fear that he would have to “stand alone” now with the conservative justices on issues of race, and added: “I’ll have a lot of fun standing with the court of the Bible.”
This is how it should be.
No Justice, who believes that “separate but equal” can be unconstitutional, should think anyone can be exempt from equal rights without equal responsibility. No Justice has the right to say a person is not qualified on a certain basis. No Justice has the right to refuse to hear someone’s claim because he feels the person was not entitled to be heard.
At every level of society, we are obligated to protect people who are being discriminated against. The Supreme Court is only looking at one issue, and that issue is race relations in America. That is understandable. The court’s decision is only a small step in the right direction.
I’m sure my friends will point out the many flaws in the ruling. They are correct that the law has been twisted to suit the conservatives. They are correct that affirmative action has never been upheld and never should have been upheld. They are correct that the court majority has no idea what it is doing, and they are correct that the Supreme Court’s decision is based on only a few opinions. But they are also wrong.
I would like to know what part of the decision conservatives dislike so much. They are wrong on issues that do not matter. They are wrong
