On June 29, the Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action in college admissions decisions is unconstitutional. I think this ruling is short-sighted and unforgivable.
Initially, it might sound great – judging students on the basis of their academic skills, regardless of skin color. But, the ruling might have a different outcome than intended. We now live in a global society. Asia makes up 60% of the world’s population; the U.S., less than 5%. China and India are the leading sources of international students in our colleges and universities. The brightest 10% of China and India’s 3 billion people equals 300 million, whereas our top 10% equals only 35 million.
It’s simple math. U.S. colleges were already turning away droves of Asian applicants in the interest of racial diversity. As a former gifted resource teacher for elementary students for the Department of Defense, I made sure admission policies for 5- to 10-year-olds reflected the top 5% of each racial group – white, black, Hispanic and Asian. Unless you believe in racial superiority and discount generations of discrimination, isn’t this the only fair thing to do?
Some had different exposure to language, cultural experiences and the value of education. But none of them were inherently less intelligent or less capable. Providing them a seat at the table was all they needed to make amazing academic gains. Now, we’re taking those seats away from so many of our American students. In the long run, our society will definitely not be better off.
Becky Malecki
Durango
