Letters to the Editor

What’s in a name?

Thank you, Keith A. Owens, for your column on Ward/Wardell Connerly (“Warding off race,” Metro Times, July 16-22). You nailed it perfectly — what is the man trying to prove by avoiding a name that would easily identify him as probably being black? That probably says more than an hours-long psychological profile or a 10,000 word essay in the LA Times.

I’m a 49-year-old white male. As long as any school extends alumni preferences in its admission procedures, which usually perpetuate or extend the pro-white biases of previous generations, then they should counter or balance those alumni preferences through a form of affirmative action. I suspect very few universities can show they were truly race-neutral 60 or 70 years ago. —Tony Wagoner, Harper Woods

Keith A. Owens, you should pray that St. Peter uses affirmative action to let your ass in.

By the way, after “Owens World” spent an entire half-page slamming Connerly, the least you could have done was lay some ink down on how to contact him for those who don’t buy into legalized racism, aka affirmative action. Remember, it’s about grades, not skin color, sex, age or whatever.

For how long does our government have to keep babying the ass of “The Jeffersons” just to measure up in school or the workplace? I thought they were “Movin’ On Up” back in the ’70s. What the hell happened — did they move back down again?

“Owens World” needs to lose the government crutch and get over it. Besides, what is “Owens World” telling the kids out there that work hard to get that 3.8 or 4.0?

“Too bad, honey, sorry your 4.0 did not get you accepted at your school because Charshacka over there with the 2.8 has some issues about her family values and skin color.” —Bob Blakeslee, [email protected], Clinton Township

Keith A. Owens, don’t look now, but a recent poll by the Free Press appears to show that the measure sponsored by “poor Ward Connerly” is supported by a huge percentage of voters.

So, while outraged black activists can scream all they want (rallying the outraged opposition in the process), and the Michigan GOP will “officially” do nothing to help him (think they might share the big donor list with Ward, since he’s doing what they don’t have the balls to do), and politically correct heresies will be belched from everyone from the Big Three to Metro Times, it won’t have any effect on the final outcome. Because the moment you put the average white, yellow or brown person in a voting booth, affirmative action doesn’t stand a chance.

When our esteemed national leaders finally force the public education establishment to actually do their jobs in the urban school districts — particularly in the early grades — schools like U-M can stop fudging the numbers to find the best and brightest. —Jim Olson, [email protected], Lathrup Village

Jack Lessenberry, in your column titled “How the Democrats can win” (Metro Times, July 16-22), you say no Democratic presidential candidate is “stirring people’s hopes and dreams.” But Dennis Kucinich is doing just that.

Congressman Kucinich has inspired my hopes and dreams with his campaign to pass a bill (HR1673) to create a new, cabinet-level position for a department of peace.

This groundbreaking legislation will hold peace as an organizing principle in our society. It will promote justice and democratic principles and expand human rights; it will strengthen nonmilitary means of peacemaking, work to prevent violence and divert us from armed conflict.

You ask that Democrats “inspire people and give them hope, especially, perhaps, the young.” I recently worked in Washington, D.C., with 300 Americans of all ages to lobby our leaders for support. An 18-year-old Birmingham student joined me in meeting with our 9th District congressman, Joe Knollenberg.

Dennis Kucinich’s dreams are something I’ve longed to hear from a president. I submit to you that this is one Democrat that is indeed stirring people’s hopes and dreams. He’s got my vote.

You can learn about the department of peace at www.dopcampaign.org. —Scott Vacek, West Bloomfield