Black Official Wants Test Made Easier for Blacks; Likens Blacks to Athletes, Not Students

By Selwyn Duke

What do you think of this reasoning: If a given group doesn't perform as well as other groups on a test, then the exam is by definition discriminatory and should be discarded?  This is the rationale that was applied to police-department exams in the 1970s in a bizarre application of government civil-rights legislation.  It was part of a social-engineering effort to get more women and minorities on police forces and is why we now have a diversity within the ranks that has given us, among other things, miniature cops.  I'm not even kidding.  Some years ago in New York City I saw a 12-year-old girl going to a costume party dressed as a police officer.  Or at least I thought I did, until I got closer and realized she was a member of New York's, uh, Finest.

Now, in Houston, Texas, a lawsuit has been filed by some black firefighters based on the same outcome-indicates-discrimination logic.  Writes Chron.com:

Seven black firefighters are suing the city, contending that the Houston Fire Department’s test for officer promotions adversely affects blacks.

"This is systemic discrimination," said the firefighters’ attorney, Dennis Thompson. "Selection rates for African-Americans are abysmally smaller than for white candidates."

. . . Firefighters trying to attain the rank of captain and above in the Houston Fire Department must take a 100-question multiple-choice test. Numerous studies show that blacks as a group do less well on high-stakes tests, Thompson said.

You know, I think I figured out why they say that a good start is 10,000 lawyers at the bottom of the sea.

Then we have this excerpt from the article:

"'We don’t do as well on these multiple-choice tests,' said Capt. Otis Jordan, president of the Houston Black Firefighters Association. Jordan and the HBFA are not part of the suit. 'I compare fighting a fire, riding an apparatus, to playing football. Your best athlete might not be the straight-A student.'"

So, blacks don't do as well with multiple choice . . . .

Well, that explains why they filled out their ballots the way they did in November.

In all seriousness, what would happen if a white person said, "They [blacks] don’t do as well on these multiple-choice tests"?  I think he'd be the next Al Campanis or Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder.  But isn't it funny how stereotyping not only becomes acceptable but also is aggressively practiced when filing lawsuits and seeking advancement?  "Oh, you know lil' ol' us can't figure out this complicated stuff."  Yes, that's when feminists want chivalry and some blacks want to become Amos 'n Andy.

Someone ought to remind Capt. Jordan that the test in question is for officer promotions, meaning, positions wherein you work in a capacity that isn't like playing football, but coaching football.  It's about brains more than brawn. 

As for Counselor Thompson, he is correct -- tests do discriminate.  They differentiate between the adept and the amateurish, the informed and the ignorant, and the smart and the stupid.  The one exception, it appears, is the bar exam.

                  © 2008 Selwyn Duke -- All Rights Reserved

Comments

[Shaun]

This and other bizarre facts about Affirmative Action can be found and read in the intriguing book :Paved with good intentions, the failure of race relations in contemporary America by Jared Taylor. Its a bit old now (early 90's) but its dead on with its analysis.

[Walt]

Yea, its kind of funny how something that was right in the 90s is still right. Truth is timeless.

[Philip France]

Isn't it about time that we stopped the pratice of considering blacks as sacred cows?

I am not a bigot. Among my favorite thinkers and columnists are Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams. Does the brilliant Michelle Malkin count? She appears to have some Asian heritage (although admittedly, I do not know, nor do I care) I have studied the life and history of the great George Washington Carver. I am not alone. This so-called "racial oppresion" that is supposedly perpetrated by caucasians is part of the Marxist lie(s) propounded by College and University professors.

In Selwyn's great article (aren't they all?), he alludes to comments by Al Campanis and Jimmy 'The Greek' Snyder, who were both dismissed for making factually correct, but racially charged observations. What is the problem with facts? Since when does being honest with factual observation justify dismissal and public humiliation?

A short time ago, radio host Don Imus was brought under the searing lights of public scrutiny for saying the following: "they look like nappy-headed ho's". Listen carefully: (and I preface this by saying that I do not like Don Imus, but I will defend to my death his right to express himself freely). No, he did not say that that WERE nappy-headed ho's, but that they "looked like" them. That is an opinion, of which we all have and are all entitled to and are supposedly Constitutionally protected to the free expression thereof.

Another fairly recent outrage with respect to this subject came from none other than Dr, James Andrews; a brilliant scientist who, together with Dr. Francis Crick unraveled the complex, double-helix DNA molecule. Dr. Andrews, citing scientific studies and laborious test results, suggested that what we have observed with our own eyes and experience has scientific evidence to substantiate this merit. He was immediately denied his speaking engagement and subsequently forced to resign. Who is the real loser here?

Marxist Professors want to convice the naive among us that we are a racist culture and that we must strive for "social justice". This is nothing but hogwash from self-loathing and mentally disordered liberals. Americans embrace greatness, regardless of race or creed. I previously mentioned the great George Washington Carver. We embraced Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washingtn. We embraced Grandma Moses and Jesse Owens and Louis Armstrong in the 20's and 30's. We embraced, in fact nearly deified Jackie Robinson and Muhammed Ali. When one considers the talents of Ray Charles, Jim Brown, James Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Willie Mays, Willie Stargell, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby and, I repeat, Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams or Michelle Malkin, does race really enter the equation?

It is time to stop this madness. People of color; any color, including white; must stop making sacred cows out of certain races and be honest with facts. We must end institutional racism such as Affirmative Action and raciaal quotas and permit individuals to pass or fail on his or her owns mertis, or lack thereof.

[John]

I agree, Philip. But it won't change. The racial hatred runs too deep.

[Walt]

Although there is still a bit of real old fashioned racism in America, generally preserved by the Southern Democrats, Americans in general judge a man on the content of his character not the color of the skin. However, even though racism is largely dead race based resentment is on the rise. Race based resentment is not born of a mans belief in another’s inequality based on genetics but rather born of, race baiting, affirmative action, constraints on free speech, and assumptive language that implies one color dislikes another. These are all leftist tools to divide the populous, and create inner strife...needless to say it is working.
So what does the future hold? One very possible future is of a totally failed Obama Presidency and an America in chaos. What would be the implications be of such event? Most of us that are capable of a forensic evaluation of the American economy realize leftist policies and programs were the genesis of the meltdown (Freddie, Fannie and so on) and a weak opposition to the policies. The opposition presented soft core concerns that almost sounded like warnings but failed to fervently seek a change in course. For such luke warmness I damn the right as much as I damn the leftist ideologues for this mess. In short the economic turmoil was of leftist design, tolerated by the right with a pinched nose rather than fought clinched fist. Obama's "wonderful" ideas to heal the economic mess, are kissing cousins to the origin of the mess. Two failures will not make a success. We are in deep doo-doo. Obama was elected because, not in spite of his "blackness." His credentials are as questionable as his past associations. I truly believe Barrack Obama is the poster child for the "Peter Principle." If the future holds failure for BHO and America, (assuming amnesty is not rammed through as means of a power continuum) what will be the racial implications? How will Americans view those who elected him based upon the color of his skin and not the content of his character.
As a qualifier I would have voted J.C. Watts for President over any one that the Repubs put out there. Alan Keys would have been my third or fourth choice. McCain not in the top ten.

PS- Why does Microsoft Word’s spell check want to substitute Osama for Obama. Do they know something? LOL

[John]

Walt, Keyes yes. Maybe Sowell or Williams. but J.C. Watts actually said before the election he might vote for Obama. Find the story. You'll be very disappointed the way I was.

[Philip France]

Walt,

Well said. I recently sent an email to a friend using the possessive "O'bama's" (as in Obama's Deputy AG choice). AOL spellcheck corrected it to "Hamas". Interesting.

[W. Tieff]

I find it amusing (literally) that Comedy Central has been airing the Mike Judge film 'Idiocracy' all weekend..
The parallels are frightening, what with welfare octuplets and now promotion tests that "discriminate" against athlete first responders...... lol

[Common sense.]

So what the blacks are saying is that the blacks believe they are not as smart as the whites? How can they say the tests are made to keep blacks out of the police force and from being a firefighter? How can they say they are equal to us and then say they cannot pass a test that is given to ANYONE who applies for these jobs? They are admitting that they are not as smart as whites by saying that. You only prove you do not have the intelligence to pass it. Then you turn around and blame the white man because YOU are not smart enough. This does not make sense.