Affirmative Action Protest: Give the Pubs a Cookie

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The College Republicans at UNC-Charlotte will be holding a mock bake sale Tuesday to protest affirmative action.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., they will be at the Belk Tower, charging different prices for different races and sexes. It is something they have done for the past three years.

But this year, several other student organizations want to respond with a protest of their own. They say they are outraged by the mock bake sale.

“We want to raise awareness that affirmative action shouldn’t be dealt with in such a simplistic matter,” organizer Terrence James said Thursday.

Hundreds plan to show up at the Belk Tower on Tuesday to protest the College Republicans’ mock bake sale.

Elizabeth Beck, a member of the College Republicans, said her group is just trying to get people talking about the issue.

“The point is to get their attention and to kind of shock them out of their daily routine and their daily acceptance,” she said.

Hundreds plan to show up Tuesday and protest the College Republicans’ mock bake sale. James said they plan to set up tables of their own and provide information about the history of affirmative action and discrimination. They also plan to give out cookies.

“Our approach for this is to definitely protest the manner by which the College Republicans are dealing with affirmative action, and to educate and enlighten the student body as well,” he said.

Web Journalist: Kyle Almond

I am far from the champion of affirmative action; not so much as to say it never had a place in society but more that we should be moving away from all race/gender based quota systems/price points. That said, if forced to choose an evil, I would pick the "free throw" away athletic scholorships to protest over race or gender based affirmative action as they do far more to destroy academia than enrolling someone in college who would have been less likely to enroll without the help but that is my can of beans.

Bravo to these kids though for making me think. Whether I agree or disagree, my nuerons are firing.

I was just wondering what you all think of this issue and the manner in which these students decided to carry out their protest.

Regardless of whether I agree with them or not it seems to me quite a clever way of getting their point across.

...I agree with Isis.

Again!

Mostly.

I completely agree that Affirmative Action, while it had it's time, has served its purpose and needs to go the way of Jim Crow laws. However, while I agree that "throw away" academic scholarships are very bad, I think Affirmative Action goes well beyond academia and is, therefore, a more pressing issue.

<hijack>On the other hand, if you want to keep the scope to just academia, then let's talk about the rampant Liberal bias on most campuses. </hijack>

Lastly, that was a really cute title. Bravo, Isis!

-Kiamat Dusk
Cookie Monster

I was talking about the free throw based athletic scholorships actually but it is nice that we can agree even if it is just a tad.

hehe...the title flew into my head because I'm watching Sesame Street with my niece....she will forever know the Cookie Monster as Kiamat

I do think that the way the students are protesting the other students is rather clever. There's a whole lot of gray area in affirmative action and a lot of people (including me) know less than is healthy about it. Therefore I can't say I have a defendable opinion on it.

Anyway, I'm surprised that the college hasn't shut it down already if they say that they've been doing this for years. Charge different races and genders different prices? Yep ... it does make ya think. Ingenious.

I think its great.

I deal with affirmitive action almost daily in the construction business...we have to have 46% minority firms but its basically one big scam. For the most part companies hire a qualified minority...make him a partner or give him an offshoot company and there you have it.

There are also brokers who use their minority status as a clearing house by putting their name on jobs they will never do...they are just a pass through company for the payroll and the broker takes his cut.

Using the the best qualified person or firm for the job is the only way to go. One of my best subcontractors is a minority owned and operated business and they refuse to sign up for the minority programs....they get work because they are good at what they do not because they are minority owned.

Great --Then we can also do away with "legacies" and "grandfathering".

Admissions should be based on merit. Period. I'm all for providing financial assistance to people who need it, but when it comes to admissions, racial quotas are racism, plain and simple.

Agreed 100%.