Uptown Notes

I’ve been under the weather, so there haven’t been any updates in the past few days, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to mention!

First, Nathaniel Jones’ death was ruled a homicide by the Hamilton County coroner. Now the caveat is that the coroner says that Jones had a number of health problems that contributed to his death. Though he would not have died at that moment, the coroner urged people not to take this as a case of “hostile or malign behavior.” Okay, I am way too fed up to even comment!

The Daily recently had another Diversity explosion! This week the Daily looked at the new bill HR 333, which seeks to have APIA communities listed as one of the minority groups that would recieve federal grants in higher education. To complement their reporting of HR 333, the Daily also ran Lauren Strayer’s piece entitled, “Racism among friends.” This piece was really pointless, but it keeps ringing in my head, well at least one question does. Why can’t you tell your friend not to use the term oriental now?

Also, this week, NASA co-sponsored a program on secret socities, apparently the session got heated. Now isn’t the term “bashed” a bit prejorative?

The Michigan Ballot Initiative is now upon us! Below you will find an email from Carl Cohen of the Residential College. Beneath his letter in bold is the proposed ballot intiative that will attempt to prohibit affrimative action, and yes that is the correct term, in the state of Michigan! Organized opposition has already begun. The struggle continues.

Colleagues and friends:



You will have noted that the battle over race preferences in

Michigan has begun. It is not a battle over affirmative action;

affirmative action, vigorous steps designed to extirpate all

discrimination by race and ethnicity, are untouched by the proposition

to be voted on. Ours is a country in which racism has penetrated very

deeply; one would be foolish indeed to suppose that there is no need to

continue the battle to uproot it. But that battle, in a decent society,

will certainly not involve the very discrimination that is to be

eliminated. The proposition on which the people of Michigan will vote in

2004 aims only to forbid all discrimination by the state and it

agencies, including the University of Michigan, and to forbid all

preference by race, color, ethnicity, or national origin.

To help our general understanding of what is at issue in this

matter, I include here an exact copy of the entire text of the

proposition that is to be on the ballot in the fall of 2004. The first

two sentences below comprise the whole of its substantive force. They

appear repetitive, but that is because the University of Michigan, like

some other public universities in Michigan, are constitutionally

autonomous. The complete text — which I support with all my heart —

follows:

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A proposal to amend the Constitution of the State of Michigan to

prohibit the University of Michigan and other state universities, the

State, and all other state entities from discriminating or granting

preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national

origin.

This section does not invalidate any court order or consent decree that

is in force as of the effective date of this section.

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