'Heidt' of bad taste

After reading Robert Heidt's now infamous op-ed piece in "The Indianapolis Star," I find myself amazed by an educator's ignorance. He is a coward. A man willing to make such bold statements should have the courage to address the IU community directly. He, however, chose to publish his views in an Indianapolis newspaper over the winter break when students and faculty could not promptly respond. His argument is exaggerated and implicitly racist, and I believe his teaching services would be better utilized at another institution, perhaps Bob Jones University. \nHeidt is entitled to his opinion on affirmative action, but his passion for the topic seems fueled by the idea that all minority applicants are grotesquely under-qualified. I expected a legal argument from a law professor, but didn't read one. How could a non-white student succeed under the his tutelage? \nHow then does Heidt explain the success of minority law students who have excelled in the same courses as whites? If he's right about their qualifications, then one would assume that these students would fail after one semester. This is not the case. Heidt is merely crusading to damage the reputation of any practicing minority IU law graduate.\nHeidt singled out black students in his article:\n"As a result (of affirmative action policies), black applicants whose low grades, LSAT scores and extracurricular record would otherwise win admission only to Howard Law School in Washington, D.C., regularly win admission from us." \nMy jaw dropped upon reading that. I'm not sure what world Heidt lives in, but the last time I checked, Howard University School of Law (its proper name) graduated some of the most powerful people in our nation -- Thurgood Marshall, Vernon Jordan and Sharon Pratt Kelley (D.C.'s first woman mayor). Howard is a historically black university and Heidt is obviously biased toward the black community. Still, that gives him no right to abuse his credibility as a professor by slandering not only black applicants, but current and past black IU law students. \nHeidt repeatedly claimed that blacks are "leap-frogged" over white applicants. He attempted to generate sympathy for these unknown rejected applicants with the now infamous quote, "Seeing the photographs and reading the record and personal statements of non-minority applicants whom we rejected in order to admit the far less qualified left me feeling as though I should wash."\nI feel like I'm stuck in some contemporary adaptation of "The Bell Curve" where biased observations and misleading statistics are being used to reinforce ideals of white superiority. \nIt's apparent that Heidt is disgusted with the University. He referred to those at the administrative level as idealists and liars. He painted a picture of a defiant institution that cannot be stopped by even the Supreme Court in its crusade to discriminate on the basis of race and begs the state legislature to withhold funding to the University until these practices are terminated. In reality minorities are still underrepresented on campus. Affirmative action policies have not been institutionalized at IU as Heidt suggests and people like Dr. Charlie Nelms who work hard to guide this University in the right direction are not liars. They are progressive, intelligent leaders working to end the effects of racism on our communities. Heidt is a walking roadblock to our progress and I know our law students and our communities will succeed despite him. \nNow if you'll excuse me, I have to go wash.