John A. Farrell

Supreme Court Is Right to Reject Sotomayor's Ricci Ruling on New Haven Firefighters

June 29, 2009 RSS Feed Print

By John Aloysius Farrell, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

The Supreme Court's ruling today on behalf of a group of white and Hispanic firefighters from New Haven, Conn., is the latest proof that it's time for our increasingly diverse nation to start dropping affirmative action programs based on race, and move toward a color-blind society.

The court ruled that the white and Hispanic candidates who aced their exam, but were denied promotion by New Haven because no black candidates qualified, were the victims of reverse discrimination. The case is particularly relevant because, in reaching their decision, the justices overruled a decision by a federal appeals court that included Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

Sotomayor's participation in the appellate court ruling will no doubt provide grist for conservatives, and other foes, as she heads toward hearings and Senate confirmation.

And that will leave us with this contorted tale: The nation's first black president, after selecting the Supreme Court's first Hispanic nominee, will be criticized because, in ruling on behalf of the city of New Haven and its affirmative action plan, she penalized Hispanic candidates.

We are moving past logic and reason. We can do better than this.

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There is not a single reason for affirmative action today. It is just racial discriminatio. Period.

Support should be based on economic conditions no matter of the race of those who receive the benefit, because there are children raised in bad conditions in every race, and there are rich and poor, good and bad families, in any race.

So just take into account the CV of those who ask for a job, not their race.

It is time to end racial discrimination in America.

Enrique 7:18AM July 01, 2009

Juan Torena of IL

I never said that affirmative action exists because African sold their brothers to slavery. The first part of my post specifically replies to KC.

The rest of my post, specifically the AAP parts applies to America as a whole.

Communism in the best form of government ever devised.. on paper. You see how that turned out? Affirmative Action is no different that on paper the idea looked great, and the intentions where no less then honest.

In reality it is a handicap to those it applies to. If you think that people are not getting hired because of Affirmative action rather then their own individual qualifications you are seriously deluding yourself. Even worse if you think many of those where not the best qualified individuals.. then your just being blind.

The city clearly threw out the test, not because it was indeed bias to anyone, but simply due to fear of title VII law suits. Do you think this is what they meant to have happen with affirmative action. That a person regardless of color should get passed over, because another person did not pass the test?

If affirmative action was so great, then why is it working so poorly. Yes, it was a law passed to extend aid to those under extreme oppression during the times. It was a band aid over a bullet hole and only serves now to create more problems then it solves.

Please, Let us NOT pretend. Do you think affirmative action helps white people? That's a rather large population in the US..do you think a government would not agree to a contract with an all black organization because they have no white people? AAP does not regulate any business except those that wish to hold government contracts or government subsidiaries.

Affirmative action, like many other things we have done in this world, was great idea until it was implemented. Now it is used and abused by the same people that it was wrote for. And when not abused, it is still a handicap that sets people apart.

If you want to speak of equality, you must first get rid of any favoritism and special treatment. When a man stands on his own merit only then can he be equal.

WJ of NC 9:13PM June 29, 2009

Affirmative Action exists not because Africans sold their brothers but because America, as a free nation, meant that only white Europeans could be free to practice liberty, and the pursuit of happyness. Even when slavery was abolished, laws were passed to prevent freed Africans (who by now were Americans) from securing educational, social and economic benefits. Let us not pretend and stop being hypocritical.

Affirmative action, when applied in the best way (another story) benefits all Americans. It does not mean we choose fools as leaders to pretend Affirmative action works!

Juan Torena of IL 8:14PM June 29, 2009

John A. Farrell

John A. Farrell

John Aloysius Farrell is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report. An award-winning Washington reporter, he has written for The Boston Globe and The Denver Post and is the author of Tip O’Neill and the Democratic Century and an upcoming biography of the great American defense attorney, Clarence Darrow.

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