The court's four liberals delivered a scathing dissent -- twice as long as Roberts's opinion. It said the plurality's decision was, in the words of Justice Stephen G. Breyer, who read his opposition from the bench, a "cruel distortion" of the court's landmark decision more than 50 years ago in Brown v. Board of Education, which demanded an end to segregated schools.
"This is a decision that the court and the nation will come to regret," Breyer said.
Roberts, too, had used the decision in Brown as a basis for today's opinion.
"Before Brown, schoolchildren were told where they could and could not go to school based on the color of their skin," Roberts wrote. "The school districts in these cases have not carried the heavy burden of demonstrating that we should allow this once again -- even for very different reasons."
Justice Roberts is also quoted as writing:
"The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race," Roberts wrote.
It's hard not to argue that in many cases it has been a pattern of reverse discrimination. Yet, I also understand the concerns of those who now feel that the sought after diversity, even while not set up as a fair process, will now create a situation where things turn to the way they were before Brown. Years later to have minorities again the ones forced to file suit due to an unequal educational process. Can we ever solve this? Sometimes I wonder, especially in Cities like mine where the schools are neighborhood schools, they reflect the make up of the neighborhood which may or may not be racially diverse. This creates schools that are mainly made up of minorities and schools that are mainly made up of white students, with the claims the minority children are not getting the same education. That's probably true, but the problem goes deeper than just the school system, it's parental involvement and socio-economic issues and more...
2 comments:
"'The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race,' Roberts wrote."
With that, I can agree. Whether that equals agreement with Roberts decision or not is hard to tell until I can read what he actually wrote and try to analyze what it actually means.
As you are aware, I define segregation in broader terms than most Americans and am wholly against it -- whether it be on the basis of race, ability, religion, or anything else. However, forcing integration by determinations of race (or anything else) is also problematic.
Imo, the battle against discrimination must be won in hearts by adults taking less notice of the differences between individuals and letting children discover the joys of those differences themselves. As a child, most of my fellow students were of a similar type as myself, however that didn't stop me from playing with, sharing with, and enjoying the company of those who were different. But, when adults set the example that recognizing their differences -- either for good or for ill -- is acceptable, then those differences are high-lighted.
When a child is a child is a child, first and foremost, and differences are only there to learn "how other people" do things -- thing discrimination will be something of the past. It's a long road, with many painful bumps along the way, but it is possible. And it's not going to happen with reverse-discrimination.
I agree reverse discrimination is not the answer as it increases division and creates resentment.
I understand the irony in today's court process, it was brought by parents for the same reason Brown was brought 50 years ago. Yet I don't think 50 years ago or today they have discovered the right answer which the key is us.
You're right as to where discrimination has to end.
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