There was just a comprehensive story about white New Haven Connecticut firefighters who are suing the city for racial discrimination. There was a test taken for promotions back in 2003 and all of the white candidates passed the test and none of the blacks and only two Hispanics passed the test. The city decided to discount the test scores, thus prompting the lawsuit.

When I first heard about this case I knew it was one of those where you have to wait a few days or weeks, after initially hearing it, where you have to get more facts before passing judgment. When I first was reminded of the case a few weeks ago, it sounded like a bunch of white men who were upset at not getting promoted to the positions. It has all the makings of the old white backlash stories of the 80s and 90s, when affirmative action was debated heatedly for its effectiveness.

While I understand the need for affirmative action I’m not a fan of affirmative action. I was a victim of affirmative action too many times in college and I think that contributed to me ‘retiring’ from college a few years before going back. Even though I got accepted to many other schools by merit, when I went to UCLA it was assumed by students, teachers and administrators that I got to their school because of affirmative action. When I went to elementary school in Florida I was able to participate in a gifted program there, but only after I took the test twice because after I passed it with flying colors (over 90%) the first time it was assumed I either cheated or the test was wrong so I had to take it another test to prove I deserved to be in the program.

I never saw myself as an affirmative action baby, but my achievements and my skin constantly brought that into question. Well, I can’t say always because when I was in high school in San Diego, going to Gompers, that was never a question. Outsiders sometimes had that impression, but the students and staff at Gompers treated everyone as equals because we all knew what we had to do to make it at that school.

At UCLA, I could keep telling them the schools I had to turn down, for financial reasons, to get into their school. If affirmative action played a role in me getting into school, I would figure some of the other schools I wanted to go to, with my grades, would have used the affirmative action rip to figure a way to get me to go there. UCLA was affordable for my parents and they had a film program I wanted to get into. I wasn’t an affirmative action charity case that got handed to the school without being able to handle the work load.

With the firefighter case, I read a little on it and the test was like any civil service test, meaning there were books and practice tests used before the big test was taken. I honestly couldn’t tell you why the black and Hispanic firefighters scored so low on the test but there was information out there on what the test was about and the ability to study for it. I’m sorry that those wanting a promotion failed the test, but it doesn’t seem fair to me that the people who passed the test should be punished.

Just as an example, there are a number of promotional positions that have opened up at my job and there are criteria that have to be met. There are also a number of tests that have to be done. I know a lot of people who want promotions but are upset they can’t get them. We know about the tests, the attendance rules and other factors they are looking for and the ones that complain the most are the ones that have the most trouble with those factors. They say they don’t have time to do the test, or their attendance isn’t consistent and they will complain about not being able to get promoted even though they say they know the job they want to do. That’s all well and good but without the test and attendance you can’t get interviewed for the job.

I’m looking to get promoted at some point so I’m keeping my attendance up and I come in early to check over material so I have the time to take the right test. Sure I can complain, but I’m not getting held back because of my race, just like the other folks at work aren’t getting held up because of race. Just showing up for work and passing the tests will clear everything for the interviews and possible promotion.

It just seems that if the firefighters who didn’t pass the test studied the information provided before the test and didn’t think of the promotions as having to be a affirmative action issue, they may have scored better, gotten the interviews and been on a level playing field. That is only the minor issue because it was the city who threw the scores out. From listening to the city attorney, I’m sure the thinking was if they let the test stand, a minority court case would cost the city millions, while if they threw out the test, a bunch of white men claiming discrimination would be laughed out of court. Well, years later the case is going to be heard before the Supreme Court, so it seems not much laughter was done.

 

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Firemen and Reverse Racial Discrimination - Apr 16, 2009
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