BooMan’s post A Word on Princeton and Affirmative Action made an impression on me (as well as many others). In it he lays out the simple facts that there are variables taken into consideration in competitive admissions processes which preference some applicants over others. He tells his story plainly and without any trace of bitterness. I related to his tale. Thus I joined and wrote my first diary.
The contrast between the attitudes of Pat Buchanan and those of BooMan, myself and progressives in general has stayed in my mind. Today I happened to think of something which I thought might be relevant. I looked up old crustypants on Wikipedia and, sure enough, my hunch was correct: Pat Buchanan has no children.
Promoted by Steven D
Watching Pat Buchanan’s appearances on MSNBC during the Sotomayor coverage last week it is clear to see how very angry he gets over affirmative action — he’s practically frothing!
Much like the word “liberal” — which I fully claim as a positive — the term “affirmative action” means different things to different people. I cannot remember the exchange I saw, on what network, or who said it… but the right-wing talking head was charging “affirmative action!” and the liberal pundit was calmly responding, “Those aren’t bad words to me.”
It took a couple of days to sink in but I have realized something. The most strident complainers against affirmative action are found on the upper end of the actuarial tables not only because they are cranky old men who just don’t get it but because they have not really lived through affirmative action.
Some may have objected out of fear that their children would suffer and be shortchanged. But that fear only lasts if their children confirm it. I am not saying that there are no young people with ugly opinions on this matter; I am saying I do not find it to be the normative view among those who have spent their entire school-lives in integrated settings. (And isn’t that partly the point? That through living, working and studying side-by-side we might be a more strongly united society?) I can imagine bigoted parents slowly reexamining their views as they are introduced to their children’s friends.
Parents learn from their children. Do any of us imagine that cranky old Dick Cheney would have come to a fairly enlightened view on homosexuality on his own? Without a daughter who is a lesbian? I mean, sure, Mary Cheney is so atrocious, nasty and hateful that he pretty much has to love her. But he goes above and beyond that to speaking in support of gay relationships. Acceptance like that would be totally out of character for him if not for his evil little lesbian dumpling.
And what about John McCain? I honestly do not know that much about his social views (I never felt it relevant to look them up since I despised his approach to economic and foreign policy!). But I cannot imagine his daughter’s opinions have not rubbed off on him a little.
Then we have Pat Buchanan. In a childless marriage dating back to his days in the Nixon White House. I have no judgment against anyone’s personal life. But I note that he is screaming every night about a world he himself has not had to live in — the affirmative action world which I call fair and balanced and he calls hopelessly skewed — and no children of his have experienced.
Suppose he had had a child like BooMan, or me. And we were to say to Pat, “Hey, Dad. It’s no big deal. I’m glad to have gone to school with so many different types of people. There’s more to aptitude than test scores. My college experience was richer thanks to these policies you rail against.” Would it have made a difference? Maybe not. But you have to wonder when the loudest voice on that particular issue is a childless old man.
It takes a dear friend or family member to even come close to puncturing the kind of intense denial of reality that embodies Pat Buchanan. Leaving aside the racial issues it boggles my mind that he even believes it’s really possible to determine who the best X-hundred people are to be accepted to a Princeton or who the best 9 are to serve on the Supreme Court. A true conservative, Pat really believes in hierarchy.
Whereas I say: Life’s a crapshoot, right? So, enjoy it; treat others well; do your best.
P.S. I’m about at my limit of Ivy League references, and I would never ordinarily look up a site like this — not to mention how grateful I am that such a thing as this website did not exist when I was applying to college! — nevertheless I found some interesting statistical information on admissions at a site called
“Ivy Success Admission Strategists” (blechh! I’m gonna go brush my teeth now!)