It seems like wherever I turn I'm hearing about the fiscal cliff. I feel as if the media has made this into our country's version of Armageddon. Let's be clear, there are some serious issues if the budget issue is not resolved but is it the end of our country as we know it? The day after the election I posted an Open Letter to Congress. I wrote: "It's time for you to put partisan politics aside and focus on working together to solve the challenges facing America. Now is not the time to put ideological differences above practical solutions. Now is not the time to toe the party line for fear of retribution within your respective parties. Now is the time for you to be bold and daring. You have been entrusted with the future of our nation. It's time for you to live up to our expectations and figure out a way to get it done." Obviously no one is paying attention to what we as citizens expect our politicians to be doing considering they are being paid by our hard earned tax dollars. They have chosen to fight this out in the media instead of going behind closed doors and not coming out until they come up with an equitable solution. They have again chosen politics over people, ideology over practical solutions. Anyone with a modicum of common sense knows that two things have to occur simultaneously to significantly reduce debt, increase revenue and cut expenses.
Here's one of the arguments opposing Affirmative Action: as long as we continue to discuss race and make race an issue we'll never be able to put race behind us. Some opponents of Affirmative Action feel that we need to move beyond it. The battle is over. This goes for gender equality also. The issue at hand is not if there is a need for Affirmative Action but if it's still constitutionally relevant, after all we do have an African American president. Taking this one step further, if AA is constitutionally relevant, does a State have the right to ban it? There's a push for these decisions to be made at the state level. California, Oklahoma, and Michigan passed legislation to ban AA, Michigan's law was overturned. In a Los Angeles Times editorial entitled "Affirmative action and the law" the writer states: "Instead of asking courts to roll back unfavorable referendums, advocates of affirmative action in Michigan, California and elsewhere need to make their case to the public the way Ward Connerly and his allies made theirs." Click to enlarge image I saw The Central Park Five on Monday. To say that the story of these boys (now men) was a travesty of justice is a gross understatement. This was an utter miscarriage of justice, a totally orchestrated train wreck. What happened is a case study of how the system can fail on all levels. This was not just a failure of the criminal justice system. The media was equally culpable. The public was complicit as well. What galls me the most is New York City, my city, has not owned up to the mistakes that were made and has never apologized to these men for the injustices they faced. Make no mistake about it this can happen again. A confession may not necessarily be a confession, especially if it’s not in line with the evidence. Sometimes a confession is really coercion. We're doing the happy dance at the Marketplace. We are officially the Marketplace for Social Awareness and Social Responsibility Inc. We are incorporated in the State of New York and recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This milestone allows us to accept donations that are tax-exempt to the full extent allowed under U.S. law. We can now begin to move forward with our social responsibility initiatives. The Marketplace is a small organization with big ideas. We are committed to our mission of:
"Though many people of color have been critical of affirmative action because in many cases it has not benefited the poor as much as it has helped the middle class, affirmative action must be defended. To date, affirmative action constitutes the most meaningful and effective means devised by government for delivering the promise of equal opportunity. Without a policy that holds universities and employers accountable for who they admit the pledge to not discriminate is meaningless, and there is little doubt that most organizations would drift back to being mostly white. As a consequence of affirmative action, white women and people of color have gained access to higher education and professional jobs in such significant numbers that over the last twenty years there has been a dramatic rise in income for a growing number of individuals from these groups. Unfortunately, too many of those who have benefited most from affirmative action fail to recognize its connection to the struggle against racism in the United States." "Clearly, a mass movement will be necessary to counter not only the attacks on affirmative action, but the broader offensive directed at poor and working class people generally. Since the 1994 elections, right-wing Republicans have been moving with great speed to enact their reactionary contract on America. The shut down of the federal government is just an indication of how determined they are to see their vision for this country realized. So far, Clinton and his allies in the Democratic party have proven to be no match for Newt Gingrich and his gang, both because they agree with parts of that agenda (as demonstrated by Clinton's support for NAFTA and his administration's unwillingness to raise the minimum wage) and because they lack the conviction to meet the challenge forcefully." -- Dr. Pedro Noguera (Published in In Motion Magazine February 10, 1996) |
EditorErnest R. Heyward is the Founder and President of the Marketplace for Social Awareness and Social Responsibility Inc. Categories
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