Posted by
The Eagle's Quill on Friday, November 10, 2006 4:34:02 PM
In one of the most important victories for racial and gender justice in recent memory, Michigan voters on Tuesday
approved the
Michigan Civil Rights Initiative which ends affirmative action racial and gender preferences by government entities in the state of Michigan. The measure passed with 58% of the vote in that state.
This result comes on the tenth anniversary of the passage [November 5, 1996] of
Proposition 209, The California Civil Rights Initiative, which
similarly ended affirmative action racial and gender preferences in California.
Ward Connerly, who had been active with Prop. 209 in California, likewise helped to bring about the initiative in Michigan.
Make no mistake, these civil rights initiatives are some of the most important civil rights legislation in our nation's recent history. They put an end to the racist and sexist components in state, county and municipal law -- they end government coerced racism and sexism.
These initiatives provide the acid test on civil rights. Namely, one's stance on these initiatives reveals if a person is really against some of the worst forms of racism and sexism in our country -- government coerced racism and sexism. When groups and activists oppose these initiatives, they immediately show themselves to be frauds on civil rights.