The Supreme Court Empowered White Supremacists With Affirmative Action Decision

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Human nature can refer to fundamental ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that some psychologists and sociologists contend humans have naturally, but it is very unlikely they are independent of cultural influences. Human nature can have important implications in ethics, politics, and theology because it can be regarded as both a source of norms of societal conduct, or present obstacles that deny other humans their right to equal opportunities to live a rewarding life. Human nature is so very complex it is often difficult to discern if a person or group makes decisions out of naïveté borne of a lack of experience or knowledge, or if they are inherently evil and revel in causing misery for others due to their intrinsic bad character. Obviously, racism qualifies as an inherently evil part of human nature that plagues many Americans who are adamant that people of color should be treated differently and not given the same opportunity to succeed as white people.

The Supreme Court’s ruling yesterday upholding Michigan’s ban on Affirmative Action based on race in college admissions, informs that both the majority of voters in Michigan and the Justices on the High Court are either naïve about the racism infecting this country or evil in removing people of color’s opportunity to earn the same higher education as white people. It is highly probable that Michigan voters were bombarded with propaganda from Republicans, white supremacists, and all manner of conservatives decrying inequity to the white race as a result of race-based affirmative action aiding minorities have an opportunity of a college education decades of racism has denied them. However, Justices on the Supreme Court displayed yet another instance of adhering closely to Republicans’ agenda to disenfranchise people of color and deny them equal opportunities white people are afforded simply because they are regarded as superior.

One could not help but notice the High Court and Michigan voters did not ban affirmative action for what is known as “legacy scholarships” for wealthy white applicants whose parents are university alumni; they will continue receiving favored treatment during admission to Michigan colleges. It is apparent that racism and white superiority played an important role in 58% of Michigan voters’ decision to ban affirmative action for people of color only and keep in place special advantages for white wealth. If Justices on the High Court were not inherently racist, they would have banned affirmative action for all college applicants, but they have shown a predilection for targeting people of color for unfair treatment. The most disturbing aspect of the Court’s ruling is the message that it is up to voters to decide whether or not affirmative action is legal or not and it is a portent of legislation in former Confederate states for racists to ban affirmative action that will go far beyond race in the college admission process; particularly since conservatives on the court struck down crucial parts of the Voting Rights Act last year.

As SCOTUSblog pointed out shortly after the ruling was announced, the “Court cleared the way for voters elsewhere in the nation to put an end to so-called ‘affirmative action’ policies and while the ruling focused on the use of race in selecting new students for public colleges, it also would permit voters to end race-conscious policies in hiring of state and local employees and in awarding public contracts.” What the justices voting to uphold Michigan’s ban on solely race-based affirmative action policies created was a perfect storm for states in the former Confederacy to embark on a white supremacist legislative frenzy to remove any equal opportunity for people of color, primarily the Black color.

Unlike Michigan’s ballot initiative banning affirmative action, the justices in the majority, some with a high degree of vehemence against affirmative action and people of color, said policies affecting minorities that do not involve intentional discrimination should be decided at the ballot box rather than in the courtroom. It is likely that conservatives on the Court harkened back to their ruling last year striking down major provisions of the Voting Rights Act to create a perfect scenario for former Confederate states that immediately passed voter suppression laws disenfranchising minority voters. They clearly understand that a predominately white racist voting bloc will support Republican legislatures eliminating all aspects of race-based affirmative action policies.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg comprehends the effect the majority ruling will have on racial minorities who will once again face obstacles put up by white supremacists determined to maintain their advantage over minorities. She wrote that although “The Constitution does not protect racial minorities from political defeat, neither does it give the majority free rein to erect selective barriers against racial minorities.” Antonin Scalia was joined by Clarence Thomas in a display of feigned ignorance to the racism plaguing this nation and said it is not up to the courts to get involved “in the dirty business of dividing the nation into racial blocs,” and agreed the “dirty business” is best left in the hands of racially-driven white voters electing equally racist Republican legislators; particularly in the former Confederate states.

The Supreme Court majority effectively gave a nod and a wink to racists that their white supremacist mindset is back in vogue to re-start America’s two-century history of discrimination based on race. Republican-led states in the former Confederacy likely cheered the ruling that will make their minority voter suppression efforts pay dividends to re-enact legal racial discrimination without barriers such as affirmative action policies. Justice Sonia Sotomayor clearly comprehends the damage to anti-discrimination policies the ruling is certain to cause and said “the Constitution required special vigilance in light of the history of slavery, Jim Crow and recent examples of discriminatory changes to state voting laws.”
As if to highlight his ignorance of racial animus in America, Justice Anthony Kennedy had the gall to state that “History demands that we continue to learn, to listen and to remain open to new approaches if we are to aspire always to a constitutional order in which all persons are treated with fairness and equal dignity.” His words are meaningless after agreeing that it is now in the hands of voters in Republican-led Southern states that spent the past year enacting minority voter suppression laws to decide that all persons are not treated with fairness and equal dignity. It is a long-desired outcome for white supremacists the High Court just empowered and certainly emboldened.

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Rmuse

Audio engineer and instructor for SAE. Writes op/ed commentary supporting Secular Humanist causes, and exposing suppression of women, the poor, and minorities. An advocate for freedom of religion and particularly, freedom of NO religion.

Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn't look good.

Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.