Finding a fair way to deal with affirmative action is increasingly difficult when both sides are voicing opinions as loud as possible. The only way to find balance is to place the issue on the ballot.
Yes, the issue is making headlines again.
Recently released surveys show that about half of Michigan voters favor banning racial preference by amending the state's constitution, but we believe public institutions still need to consider race in order to keep campuses diverse.
One survey, conducted by telephone from Sept. 9 to 17, found that out of 600 Michigan voters across the state, 52 percent said they favored amending the constitution to deny racial preference, 39 percent were opposed to amending the constitution and 9 percent were undecided.
Another survey conducted around the same time found similar results.
The surveys come after Ward Connerly's movement, the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative.
Connerly, chairman and founder of the Sacramento-based American Civil Rights Coalition, has organized the movement to gather signatures from Michigan voters in an effort to put racial preference on the November 2004 ballot.
Until the issue is fairly and democratically voted upon, race should continue to be a factor in admissions for any public higher- education institution.
Racial inequality is still largely prevalent on campuses all over the state. Having race as a factor for admissions promotes campus diversity and educational equality.
The Supreme Court's rulings in the University of Michigan admission cases last June were appropriate because we feel that a point-based system was unfair. U-M's undergraduate "point system" policy of giving racial and ethnic minorities an extra 20 points was found to be unconstitutional.
The U-M law school case, however, was upheld because each student is evaluated on a case-by-case basis, which is how admission policies should work.
Connerly's organization needs to garner about 317,000 signatures in order for Michigan voters to be able to decide whether race can be used as a factor in higher-education institutions and in the workplace.
America is founded on democracy. If there is an active interest across the state of Michigan in changing the state constitution so it doesn't allow racial preference, then the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative will not have a problem collecting the signatures it needs.
Racial preference should only be on the ballot in 2004 if it has been put there after the organization has raised support in a democratic manner.
The deciding power should lie in the hands of the common person, because it is he or she and his or her children who will be affected by the decision to keep or throw out racial preference.
We, as a society, are not as far along as we think when it comes to racial and ethnic equality.
Affirmative action is a long, bumpy road and no one has a perfect map. Until someone does, keep driving for the good of everyone - we all have a long way to go.
