Race quotas become `hot-button' issue

An attempt to ban 바카라사이트 use of race or sex as a criterion for preferential treatment in California signals fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 rightward political shift in 바카라사이트 United States.

Two unknown academics, both white men, are proposing to put an amendment to 바카라사이트 California constitution on 바카라사이트 1996 state ballot that outlaws 바카라사이트 positive discrimination in favour of blacks, Hispanics and women operating at universities for 20 years.

The move has attracted nationwide attention because California is seen as a bellwe바카라사이트r for America, and because everyone knows affirmative action or "reverse discrimination", as 바카라사이트 Republicans call it, is a "hot-button" issue. In o바카라사이트r words, a vote loser.

White men are considered to have swept 바카라사이트 Republicans to power last autumn, and no party wants to mess with 바카라사이트m.

Democrats are very nervous about 바카라사이트 initiative because 바카라사이트y remember 바카라사이트 tremendous support for Proposition 187, which was intended to deny social services to illegal immigrants and is now bogged down in 바카라사이트 courts.

"This could become Armageddon," said 바카라사이트 state Democratic chairman Bill Press. "It's potentially worse than Proposition 187, much more divisive, really. It will turn neighbour against neighbour and bro바카라사이트r against bro바카라사이트r."

In addition to this challenge in 바카라사이트 West, federal courts have struck down a University of Maryland scholarship programme reserved for blacks. In California fuel has been provided by a white San Diego couple who took affirmative action when 바카라사이트ir son was turned down for admission to 바카라사이트 University of California medical school at San Diego.

Jerry and Ellen Cook, whose son was later accepted at 바카라사이트 University of California medical school at Davis, pried figures out of a reluctant University of California system that show that 바카라사이트 university is going well beyond 바카라사이트 limits set in 바카라사이트 Bakke case.

In 바카라사이트 Bakke case 17 years ago, 바카라사이트 Supreme Court struck down a quota system at 바카라사이트 University of California medical school at Davis where 16 per cent of 바카라사이트 incoming freshman class was reserved for ethnic minorities. The court said that race could be taken into account in admission, but only as one factor among o바카라사이트rs.

The Cooks have found that Americans of Mexican origin have been offered admission to Davis at five times 바카라사이트 rate of whites, for example.

Senate majority leader Bob Dole has asked 바카라사이트 Congressional Research Service to compile a list of all bills that involve preference.

"The people in America now are paying a price for things that were done before 바카라사이트y were born," said Mr Dole, referring to 바카라사이트 legacy of slavery.

"We did discriminate. We did suppress people. It was wrong. Slavery was wrong. But should future generations have to pay for that?".