Guest Post By Trestin: Affirmative Action

As you may know, one of the goals of Diversity Ink is to allow people with differing viewpoints on race-related issues to share them here. A little over a week ago, I came across the following post (Affirmative Action) on the blog Trestin Meacham. I contacted the blogger (Trestin) and asked if he'd be interested in letting me use it as a guest post at Diversity Ink. In his email response to me, Trestin welcomed the opportunity. He added that he was impressed with the open nature in which things are discussed here. Trestin also said he would try to get some of his readers to come here and join in on the discussion. My hope is that this generates a lively, respectful, and educational debate.

This was posted by Trestin on his blog in mid-January 2010:



Most of the great figures in history only became great after overcoming enormous obstacles. Nothing worth while comes easy. I for one am glad I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I'm glad my family did not just hand everything to me. Having to go though some struggles made me a better person. There is true satisfaction in knowing you earned something. Many minorities have some of that satisfaction stolen by affirmative action programs.

No program has done more to hurt the minorities than affirmative action. Most white people hate affirmative action, but we are not the ones who suffer the most. It seems to say that minorities are losers and can not succeed without extra help. That's not true and we all know it. It is degrading and belittling to honest people to get special treatment when they do not need it.

I am Mormon; our people suffered all kind of persecution. The State of Missouri issued an extermination order against us. Do I ask for special treatment? No, everybody has ancestors that were wronged severely. If you go back far enough, we all have ancestors that were slave owners, and ancestors that were slaves. Human history is filled with slaughter and injustice. We must first stop being victims of the past, before we can benefit from the future.

Affirmative action is the opposite of Dr. King’s vision. Dr. King wanted a world where a man was judged for whom he is, not his ethnic background. Affirmative action does the opposite, it divides us and assigns value based on race. It creates an entitlement mentality that limits true equality. No one is owed anything!

Very few people, judge people based on race. I think our society does for the most part, live Dr. King’s dream. Most of us judge a person by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Why can't of government do the same? It's time to end these backward equality limiting affirmative action programs. Let's stop being African-Americans or Latino-Americans, let's just be Americans.

Wrong Words, Right Message

President Barack Obama delivered his first State of the Union address last night. I'm sure most of you watched it, and have your opinions on how he did and what he said.

This post is not about the speech, however.

It is about a comment made by MSNBC Hardball host Chris Matthews. Here is the video:



In case you don't want to watch the video, here's the text:

I was trying to think about who he was tonight. It's interesting: he is post-racial, by all appearances. I forgot he was black tonight for an hour. You know, he's gone a long way to become a leader of this country, and past so much history, in just a year or two. I mean, it's something we don't even think about. I was watching, I said, wait a minute, he's an African American guy in front of a bunch of other white people. And here he is president of the United States and we've completely forgotten that tonight -- completely forgotten it. I think it was in the scope of his discussion. It was so broad-ranging, so in tune with so many problems, of aspects, and aspects of American life that you don't think in terms of the old tribalism, the old ethnicity. It was astounding in that regard. A very subtle fact. It's so hard to talk about. Maybe I shouldn't talk about it, but I am. I thought it was profound that way.

Twitter was in a bit of an uproar over these comments last night. I wasn't. I totally understood what he meant when he uttered these words; it may have not been the most politically correct thing to say, but I understand why he said it.

We live in a world marred by racism, colorism, and division. Last night during President Obama's speech, he was simply the President delivering a message. He didn't stand before Congress as the first black President; he stood and delivered the message as the President. In my opinion, he has a broad view of what the country needs and wants. So when he looks at the problems we face as a country, he is looking at them from a presidential "what can I do" point of view. That view has absolutely nothing to do with his race, or skin color. It has everything to do with character, service, and fully embracing the role he has been elected carry out.

It is time that we let go of that "astoundment" we see when we view the President. We can be proud, we can even cheer for him; but it is up to us to stop minimizing his role. He is not just a black President...he is the President.

At the end of the day, that is all that matters.

source for video and text: Huffington Post

Martin Luther What?!

On the Monday January 18th (MLK Day) edition of the ESPN Radio program Mike and Mike in the Morning, co-host Mike Greenberg had a controversial slip of the tongue in which he said "Martin Luther Coon".



As you may know, this is a racist term used by some when they refer to the iconic civil rights leader. As you can hear from the audio clip, Greenberg quickly corrected himself. He also later issued the following statement:

I just came home from the Knicks game and found out about the mess that was created by my garbling a sentence on our show this morning; I apologize for not addressing it sooner.

And I'm sorry that my talking too fast - and slurring my words - might have given people who don't know our show the wrong impression about us, and about me.

I feel horrible about that, because nothing could be further away from who I am and what our show is about.

I would never say anything like that, not in public, or in private, or in the silence of my own mind, and neither would anyone associated with our show, and I'm very sorry that my stumble this morning gave so many people the opposite impression.

Some feel an apology isn't enough and that Greenberg should face suspension or be fired. Because we can only speculate as to what might be in Greenberg's heart when it comes to race, I'm giving him a pass. Maybe I am more willing to give Greenberg the benefit of a doubt because I know how it is to talk live on the air and get my words tangled. Although I've never used a derogatory term on the air when I've garbled words, I can see how it could happen. For example, ABC news personality Elizabeth Vargas is known in circles by the derisive nickname "Elizabitch". Someone could have knowledge of this and mistakenly slip and say on the air "Elizabitch Vargas". It doesn't mean they are sexist or even think that Ms. Vargas is a bitch. All it shows is that at the very least, they have knowledge of the nickname. My feeling is that Mike Greenberg is aware of the term "Martin Luther Coon" and had a brain cramp on live radio.

Although I'm giving Mike Greenberg a pass on this one, I've got my eyyees on him!

Does Mike Greenberg get the benefit of the doubt from you?

Can White Men Jump?

I read the following article on Huffington Post with my mouth hung open. It really wasn't the idea of an all-white basketball league, but the reasoning behind it that has me perplexed.

Read:

A whites-only basketball league aims to launch in twelve cities this summer, according to a report in the Augusta Chronicle. The All-American Basketball Alliance would also ban players born outside the United States.

The league's commissioner, Don "Moose" Lewis, claims that he doesn't "hate anyone of color. But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now." Thus, he says, the All-American Basketball Alliance would be "a league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like."

The commissioner of this league added the following observations:

Lewis said he wants to emphasize fundamental basketball instead of "street-ball" played by "people of color." ...

"Would you want to go to the game and worry about a player flipping you off or attacking you in the stands or grabbing their crotch?" he said. "That's the culture today, and in a free country we should have the right to move ourselves in a better direction."

I think basketball is a game set to music, no matter who plays. I don't know who the audience for this all-white league would be. Are there really folks out there who don't like to see Kobe's fall away jumper, LeBron's monstrous dunks, Dwight Howard's domination in the paint, and/or DWade's Jordanesque "how did he do that" shots? If you don't get excited by these and other players in the NBA, then you don't really like basketball.

At the foundation of this new league is...well, the name of the league is All-American for crying out loud. All-American? Last time I checked we were all Americans...is it the black kids fault that they lived and breathed basketball so it becomes second nature to them? Fundamentals are taught as you learn about the game...so if these kids are coached and taught based on what James Naismith wrote when he developed the original basketball rulebook, what is the difference? When exactly did the fairer race become a minority?

Trying to circumvent the real reason for this league by saying that white players play fundamental ball and black players do not is pure foolishness. Don't hide racism behind illogical reasoning.

The NBA is a business. They want the most exciting players who are going to deliver endorsements and money back into the league. Maybe the white kids should consider playing some of that "street ball" to up their game.

MSNBC To Air Special "Obama's America: 2010 & Beyond"

On Monday January 18th (MLK Day), MSNBC airs the live two-hour town hall event Obama's America: 2010 and Beyond from 10 pm-12 midnight EST. Moderated by Hardball host Chris Matthews and featuring radio personality Tom Joyner, the special will explore race-related issues facing Americans today. If you catch the special (which repeats at 1 am EST later that night), please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

For more information on this event, please click the following link:

Obama's America: 2010 and Beyond

Below is a preview from the special in which three people of differing backgrounds give their perspectives on race in America.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy