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Civil Rights Roundup: 07/28/08

Posted by DAVID SCHRAUB, Assistant Editor in Uncategorized.
Jul 28th, 2008 | Comments

Your daily dose of civil rights and related news

An Iowa town has become “a flashpoint” for immigration protests after a raid on a meat processing plants. One anti-immigrant protester held a sign saying “What would Jesus do? Obey the law!” Umm…my Christian theology isn’t great, but I’m not sure that’s strictly accurate.

Maryland might finally be recognized as having eliminated the last vestiges of segregation in its public college system.

McCain flips on affirmative action, announces support of Arizona plan which would ban the program.

On the above issue, though, CNN reports that “McCain’s own campaign refused to say whether it stands by the candidate’s announcement that he supports the ballot initiative.” I wasn’t aware that “the McCain campaign” had the authority to trump John McCain as to his own position.

An ex-felon in Florida has founded a group to help other released felons reintegrate into society.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down an expansion of that state’s hate crimes laws, ruling that they were unconstitutionally inserted into an unrelated bill.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette asks: Should sex offenders be tracked?

A California attorney representing a man shot by a Oakland police officer said he is going to press the state to bring homicide charges against the cop.

Reps. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) have an op-ed out calling for the expansion of the ADA.

A new Virginia law requires that all foreign-born inmates be reported to federal authorities. I can’t imagine that’s constitutional as applied to foreign born U.S. citizens.

Two Muslim women are suing McDonalds, claiming that they were denied positions with the company because they wore the hijab (Muslim headscarf).

Racism slithers in to the campaign Obama runs, the Wichita Eagle reports.

The simmering split between the gay and transgender rights community continues to fester, with LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa pulling out of a gay rights rally under heavy pressure from transgender groups angry about the former community’s stance on federal anti-discrimination legislation.

Supporters and opponents of flying the Confederate flag near Tampa met to have some “dialogue.” It didn’t sound very successful.

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ChrisWWW

McCain flips on affirmative action, announces support of Arizona plan which would ban the program.

I guess he wants to make sure that no black people ever vote for him.

There is no mystery why Republican's do so poorly among minorities. They'll need a serious day of reckoning before things change. Remember that the Democrats had to cede the South for decades in order to turn their image around among blacks.

superdestroyer

ChrisWWW,

Most blacks who could vote in the 1950's were voting for Democrats. They were the party in power, Even those in the South. The real question is why does government sanctioned discrimination against whites attract black voters? Is it because they benefit from the heavy hand of the government.

Also, in polling data, most Americans are against Affirmative Action and Quotas. I guess that most progressives are ready to throw away the constitution is it helps their political ambitions.

Besides there is nothing that the Republicans can do to attract black voters. The Republicans could come out for something as blatnatly unconstitutional are reparations that blacks would still vote 90% for Democrats. My guess is that most blacks have never voted for a Republicans in any election. Part of black culture is voting Democratic, there is nothing the Republicans can do about it.

schraubd

CBS/NYT (7/7-14/08): "In order to make up for past discrimination, do you favor or oppose programs which make special efforts to help minorities get ahead?"

Favor: 51
Oppose: 42
Don't Know: 8
(Whites 44/48/8; Blacks 80/13/6; Latinos 73/21/6).

That being said, "in polling data" is a non-sequitur to "throw away the constitution". And I already have a standing challenge, as yet unanswered, asking for any evidence that the 14th amendment was originally intended/meant/understood to be color-blind.

superdestroyer

David,

You managed to find the poll question that gives Affirmative Action every possible break and puts in into the best possible light and still 50% oppose it. If you ask the question "Do people support special preferences for blacks and Hispanics in education and employment the results are 70% against. Such as the results at http://www.pollingreport.com/race.htm

"Which comes closer to your view about evaluating students for admission into a college or university? Applicants should be admitted solely on the basis of merit, even if that results in few minority students being admitted. OR, An applicant's racial and ethnic background should be considered to help promote diversity on college campuses, even if that means admitting some minority students who otherwise would not be admitted."
Solely Race/ Unsure
Merit Ethnicity,

ALL 69 27 4
Non-Hispanic whites 75 22 3
Blacks 44 49 7
Hispanics 59 36 5

Of course you are asking for something that does not exist. However, is there every anytime in the law that groups can be punished for being part of a group or that a group can be rewarded for being part of a group. Jennifer Gratz was punished by the State of Michigan for being white. Even the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that her civil rights were violated. You could interpret that the 14th amendment does allow for discrimination as long as due process was followed. Then you need to find an example of where affirmative action was used where due process was provided to the whites (and these days Asians) who were discriminated against.

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