Sunday, May 27, 2012

Paternalism Fuels “Racism”












Liberalism tends to see blacks as incompetents who can't possibly compete on an equal level and need paternalistic "help" from "enlightened white liberals" to get by.

That kind of paternalism is rooted in a confirmed sense of black inferiority. Those blacks who agree with white liberals on that are so beaten down and so convinced of their own innate inferiority that they gladly accept that liberal paternalism. It's really pretty sad.

A recent incident at UCLA’s Medical Program and a lawsuit by a physician there, Dr Christian Head has again brought that issue to the forefront. (SEE: http://wavenewspapers.com/opinion/article_b8035aa8-94ce-11e1-ac61-0019bb30f31a.html)

Without question, Dr. Head appears a very sympathetic figure, BUT....he has been unable to find the alleged slides he describes. (SEE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eMwYtycb_I&feature=share)

Even more problematic is that, according to University spokesman Phil Hampton, "The university "has investigated this matter and found that the evidence does not substantiate the claims of unlawful activity"...."Dr. Head was directed to take up the issues with the Academic Senate committee charged with resolving faculty allegations of mistreatment, and thus far he has declined to do so," Hampton continued.

So Dr. Head himself has refused to avail himself of the option of taking the matter up with the Academic Senate Committee, which doesn't bode well for Dr. Head's claims.

Worse still, is the fact that according to all involved, these "slide shows at the graduation events are typically a roast of faculty members."

Absent the plaintiff (that's Dr. Head) finding those slides, there seems to be little to no evidence supporting his claims.

I'm a DEMOCRAT. I've remained a lifelong Democrat, albeit a Conservative ("Zell Miller Democrat," for the most part) all my life.

However, I'm NOT a liberal. I far too much respect for the dignity and abilities of other people to ever endorse that kind of paternalism.

Race-based preferences are rooted in the view (promulgated primarily by liberal whites) that blacks cannot possibly compete on an equal level and will never improve based on their own efforts.

In the piece on Dr. Head, it's noted that just 3 African-Americans made it into UCLA's Medical program (a program of 200). I have very little doubt that IF all applicants were admitted purely based on grades and test scores there'd be even fewer blacks, somewhat less whites and more Asians in that program...that's just the way things tend to break down at this point.

What's the "liberal" solution?

Admitting blacks on a LOWER criteria...any black with a 3.0 GPA would be eligible for consideration.

Whites and Asians are (and would continue to be) only considered with a 3.75 GPAs or better.

THAT'S paternalism...rooted in the view that blacks will never be able to compete on an equal level. That's a very damning critique of blacks and those blacks who support such preferences ARE buying into that, whether they attempt to rationalize it in other ways or not.

One article on the Dr. Head lawsuit DID shed some additional light on Dr. Head's conflicts. "...Dr. Marilene Wang, a full professor who supervises Dr. Head, was dismissive of his qualifications and repeatedly referred to him as “an affirmative action hire” and “part of the university’s affirmative action program” in conversations with medical colleagues despite his training, awards and certification in his speciality...[Dr Head's] "lawsuit states that Dr. Wang said Dr. Head “and doctors like him — who are African-American, were the reason for failed hospitals like King Drew"....Wang reportedly issued Head nothing but negative supervisor and peer evaluations until the medical school’s dean, the late William F. Friedman, ordered her to stop in accordance with the 2004 Equal Employment Opportunity Resolution enacted after she called Head an “affirmative action hire.”
http://wavenewspapers.com/opinion/article_b8035aa8-94ce-11e1-ac61-0019bb30f31a.html

The most vital questions are, (1) DID Dr. Head get into that program under preferential (less competitive policies) and (2) Was his work under Dr Wang sub-par?

If so, then Dr. Wang is entirely justified in BOTH her opposition to such preferential policies that allow sub-standard students to become physicians and her antagonism toward Dr. Head.

Abigail Thernstrom correctly notes, "I think there's a running assumption through all of the writing on the left about racial issues that, were it not for racism, you would have random distribution of racial and ethnic groups in education, employment, contracting, elections — whatever you're looking at. But the notion of random distribution of blacks, Latinos, Jews, Armenians or whomever is absurd. It's indifferent to the reality of society. That's just not how people distribute themselves."

It's highly doubtful that Dr. Marilene Wang is motivated by any racial bigotry. In fact, generally the bigotry/racism between blacks and Asians seems largely one-sided, blacks exhibiting a pronounced bigotry toward Asians NOT the reverse.

Considering how the Trayvon Martin case seems to be unraveling, with new evidence and witness accounts that put the attack at Zimmerman's car, with Trayvon Martin as the initial aggressor, it's best not to take mere "charges" as gospel. We saw how tragically that worked out with "the Duke University Rape Hoax" back in '08.

How many people, including at least 30 instructors at Duke University initially supported those scurrilous and unfounded charges by the two “exotic dancers,” until those Duke students were ultimately were forced to prove their own innocence (which they DID) in violation of due process....and, in the end, taking both a rather generous settlement from Duke University, as well as D.A. Nifong's law license!

All of those tragedies were exacerbated by liberal paternalism that sees grievances were none actually exist.
American Ideas Click Here!