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More Mainstream Media Misrepresentation Of Civil Rights

Angela Tablac begins her article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch on the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative as follows:

A California businessman is leading an effort in Missouri to end goals in awarding government contracts to minority and women entrepreneurs.

Of course the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative, like the similar initiatives that passed in three other states and may be on the ballot in four others besides Missouri next November, did and does no such thing. As in the other states, its core language states:

The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.

Perhaps Ms. Tablac and her editors can find ending ?goals? in there somewhere, but I can?t.

Ms. Tablac continues:

If passed, the initiative will overturn a 2005 executive order by Gov. Matt Blunt that sets goals to award 10 percent of state agencies' contracted work to minority businesses and 5 percent to women-owned companies.

That would be true only if state actors attempt to reach these ?goals? by treating some Missourians better and others worse because of their race or ethnicity.

There?s nothing wrong, or at risk, about ?goals.? There?s everything wrong with racial discrimination, and I hope Missourians follow Californians, Washingtonians, and Michiganders in prohibiting it.

Full post as published by Discriminations on February 06, 2008 (boomark / email).