Preferential treatment programs work against minorities
As a state senator from Colorado Springs in 2004, I sponsored legislation called the "Colorado Civil Rights Act." It would have prohibited any public entity in Colorado from discriminating - or granting preferential treatment - on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. The act would have applied to public employment, public education and public contracting.
My measure would have had far-reaching effects. It would have meant no more of those "set-aside" programs that lead to so much finger-pointing and litigation in government contracting. It also would have meant no more race-based admissions on campus and no more hiring preferences in government employment. Sounds fair, doesn't it? Well, most of my fellow senators did not see it that way. The measure failed by one vote on the Senate floor.
A new citizens initiative now making its way toward the 2008 statewide ballot would do, by and large, what I had sought to do with my bill. Only, this time, I have higher hopes because the proposal will be judged by the public rather than a handful of lawmakers who just want the issue to go away. I believe voters will see the wisdom and fairness of this new initiative to end so-called affirmative action in Colorado. Its supporters are now gathering signatures.
If this ballot measure passes, it will fulfill my longtime dream of providing greater opportunity for black people and other minorities. That's right, I said greater opportunity.
Despite what we all have been taught about affirmative action, it has really helped only a small percentage of minorities while actually harming the rest of us. We have been told affirmative-action programs level the playing field. However, the reality is very different.
In my experience, one of the more significant barriers to the economic advancement of black and brown people today is the false promise of affirmative action. That false promise is that we can combat generations of inequality by creating more inequality. It is the illusion that two wrongs make a right. As we all know, such "offsetting penalties" work only in football. In the real world, titfor-tat can never set things straight.
Instead of creating opportunity, affirmative action has created a stigma. It has resulted in a perception that black and brown people cannot achieve without "special help." That we cannot make it in this world without handouts. That we cannot succeed without getting a special break.
And not only has affirmative action created that impression among the white majority, but it also has created that same mindset among minorities! That's right: Affirmative action programs teach our own young people that they cannot make it in college or in a career or in business without special accommodations. That only perpetuates the myth that minorities are inferior.
Yet, if you dare to say any of this in some political circles, you risk getting thrown right out the front door. I call it "getting kicked out of the politically correct club." I speak from personal experience.
In the years since I carried my bill, my critics - some black, some Hispanic, some white and, yes, mostly Democrat - have never forgiven or forgotten. When I ran for re-election last year, The Gazette ran a story about how my opposition to affirmative action would hound me into the election. The newspaper probably was right about that. I believe my advocacy of that measure three years ago contributed to my defeat in November 2006.
That's OK. I am proud of my views, and I won't back down. My priority has never been popularity. I would rather see people of my race liberated.
Don't get me wrong: Minority groups continue to face many hurdles, including outright racism. Groundless, mindless prejudice probably will be a fact of life for a long time to come.
Yet, when our enemies wear white robes and hoods, at least we can see them coming. It is when they come disguised as friends - bearing the best of intentions and gifts such as affirmative action - that they can do the most damage in the long run.
Jones is a former Colorado Springs state senator and longtime activist for school choice and education reform.
