It is difficult to capture

It is difficult to capture the virulent racism created by the culture of “affirmative action.” Yesterday the the school-funded, official daily newspaper of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Daily Cardinal, carried a letter to the editor by Patrick Meehan defending “affirmative action” from the legal threat it faces in the Michigan cases pending in the Supreme Court. Meehan’s letter itself vividly embodies the sickening racism that is both tolerated and promoted by the ideology of “affirmative action.” Here it is:
UW ‘white culture’ stops recognition of race issues
Letter To The Editor
Though the decision of the United States Supreme Court leaves me with little doubt as to the final outcome of the case, I would hope this is not the final word we hear on affirmative action. Luckily, as a student at the University of Wisconsin I don’t have to worry about that. You see, this campus is so vastly white in ways that leave me utterly aghast that any threat to its social order is treated as apostasy.
I wish I could pass off the disgust this campus has for affirmative action as ignorance, but that would be unproductive and disingenuous. Rather, I would say the posture owes itself to what I alluded to earlier: the overarching if imperceptible white culture here at the UW.
Why this issue gets dragged into the realm of who is depraved and who is not depraved is beyond me. So long as I see the white students of this university talking on their cell phones and riding on their mopeds I will have a difficult time being anything more than confrontational. It isn’t until you actually recognize that there are people on this campus who are not white that you begin to see the arguments for affirmative action.
As a white student I would add only one more thing, and that is that there are plenty of white students at this university who don’t belong.
–Patrick Meehan
UW-Madison sophomore
But Meehan’s letter is not the last word. Now comes Matt Cedergren riding on his moped to the defense of the campus’s white students–and offering Mr. Meehan a practical solution to his concerns:
Out-of-state admission cap keeps UW white
Letter To The Editor
I am Chinese-American, born and raised in Madison. Growing up, I have learned to appreciate the benefits that racial diversity brings with it, and I have always tried to promote racial diversity where it is realistically possible. However, I have also accepted the fact that Wisconsin has always historically been a predominantly white state. Complaining that Wisconsin’s population is too white is like complaining that China’s population is too yellow.
As long as this university requires at least 75 percent of its incoming freshman class to come from in-state, it will remain predominately white for the foreseeable future. A good first step would be raise the cap on out-of-state and international students, along with lowering their ridiculously high tuition.
We should not, however, simply throw insults at the white students who are already here. Most of them are simply trying to get a quality education, like everyone else. I most definitely want to see more diversity on this campus, and I have nothing against affirmative action, but I do not suddenly feel confrontational when I see white students “talking on their cell phones and riding their mopeds.”
If Mr. Meehan wants the immediate diversity he seeks, he should transfer to the University of California. And with one fewer white student here, this campus would be more diverse, as well–a win-win scenario.
–Matt Chen Cedergren
UW-Madison senior
Our friend and faithful reader Roger Conant has advised us of the existence of the Daily Cardinal’s independent competitor, the Badger Herald. With no school subsidy whatsoever, the Badger Herald has a circulation that has grown to double that of the Daily Cardinal.
Roger’s son Alexander is the once and future editor of the Badger Herald. Alexander took a break from school after graduation to write speeches and policy papers for Norm Coleman’s senate campaign. Roger also advises us that the Badger Herald features the writing of the improbably named Carey Meals, a young lady who must be the finest undergraduate sex columnist in the country. Carey’s most recent column is Wednesday’s “Rhythms that make you randy.” Do you suppose Madison’s Ms. Meals has met South Dakota’s Mr. Assman?