The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI) is a ballot initiative which will appear on the November 2006 ballot for Michigan voters. Contrary to what the name sounds like, it would abolish Affirmative Action in Michigan school, along with other things. Affirmative Action was made so that civil rights could be given to African Americans and women who have been put in a position that allows others to get an upper hand in funding for higher education. This MCRI is NOT giving civil rights to people; it is taking it away from the people who need it most.
The California-based American Civil Rights Coalition, contributed 95% of MCRI's funds. The remaining 5% of funding for the MCRI does not come from within Michigan either. The head for the American Civil Rights Coalition is Ward Connerly who successfully led anti-affirmative ballot initiatives in California and Washington state.
Citizens for a United Michigan oppose this ballot initiative and are fully funded from Michigan-based sources. This shows that the MCRI is not even powerful enough to get funding from within Michigan and people who oppose this ballot initiative in Michigan have power on this issue. If people in Michigan wanted this initiative, than why did they NOT fund it?!?!
The Kalamazoo Gazette has a great article relating to this issue, titled "MCRI ballot proposal bad for Michigan"
The following is the resolution from the ELCA of the N/W Lower Michigan Synod opposing the MCRI:
From the North/West Lower Michigan Synod -- ELCA Anti-Racism Team
2005 Synod Assembly
“Opposition to the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative”
WHEREAS, the prophet Micah tells us what the Lord requires of us: do justice, love mercy, walk
humbly with God (Chapter 6), and
WHEREAS, the Good Shepherd left the 99 in the fold to seek and bring in the one who was outside the
fold, and
WHEREAS, we believe that justice is best served by continuing Affirmative Action, being very careful
to avoid quotas, which are illegal unless imposed by the courts, and
WHEREAS, we believe that sometimes treating everybody the same, or equally, is not the same as
treating everyone fairly, and
WHEREAS, we believe that deliberately seeking out those who are not represented (or
underrepresented) in the fold is a good thing, and
WHEREAS, we believe that simply loving mercy, doing works of charity, without doing justice,
encourages dependency, and
WHEREAS, we believe that treating everyone the same, regardless of educational, social, ethnic,
religious or other background, does a disservice to everyone by trying to fit everyone into a “cookie-
cutter” mold, and
WHEREAS, we believe that the “playing field” is not as level as many think it might be, and therefore
cannot expect those running uphill to reach the goal at the same time as those running downhill, and
WHEREAS, we believe that Affirmative Action means aggressive recruitment, hiring and promotion of
qualified persons in all groups, whether they are under, or non or not represented, and
WHEREAS, we believe organizations do not have to, nor should they, lower standards for recruitment,
hiring and promotion, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the North/West Lower Michigan Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America affirms that Affirmative Action is a major tool that we can use to work toward a society in
which all of its population has opportunity to enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness until our
institutions, systems and culture stop practicing often-unintended bias based on race, color, religion,
sex, or national origin, and be it finally
RESOLVED, that the North/West Lower Michigan Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
American oppose the attempt to discontinue Affirmative Action via the “Michigan Civil Rights Initiative."
(UPDATE: Kalamazoo Gazette link broken)
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2 comments:
Interesting — demoblogger says the initiative stops affirmative action in Michigan schools, but the Lutheran resolution makes absolutely no mention of schools. Here is the punch line from the resolution:
WHEREAS, we believe organizations do not have to, nor should they, lower standards for recruitment,
hiring and promotion . . . .
It sounds to me like we’re talking employment here. It’s one thing for government to meddle in government schools, and another to mandate affirmative action in private businesses.
Can you give us more information about what the resolution really does, demoblogger?
The MCRI does stop it in schools and it also could apply to employment. I used the example of this resolution because I had the chance to be in a disscussion with the ELCA Anti-Racism Team at a gathering in late 2005. It was very informatitive. Currently some, but not all, schools use affirmative action. The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative does directly ban Aff. Action in schools and recruitment in the case of this resolution also applies to college recruitment in this case. And I can say from personal experence they WERE talking about schools.
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