Welcome to affirmative inaction

The Supreme Court recently made headlines when it decided, in a 6-2 vote, that an attempt by Michigan voters to ban affirmative action in the state was and is constitutional.

Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, in the majority opinion, stated, “This case is not how the debate about racial preferences should be resolved. It is about who may resolve it.”  

Affirmative action itself isn’t why the Court ruled the way it did, Kennedy said.

Rather, it’s because a majority of Michigan citizens voted for the amendment.

The Editorial Board finds it disconcerting that our nation’s highest court chooses again and again to simply ignore the idea that race is still an issue in this country.

The reason affirmative action was created in the first place is because it was widely believed and agreed that people of color were afforded fewer opportunities than white people.

Unfortunately, it seems members of the Supreme Court, the supposed créme de la créme of intellectual Americans, have simply chosen to put their fingers in their ears when it comes to racial inequality.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 29 percent of Americans older than 25 had a four-year college degree in 2009.

Meanwhile, only 17 percent of African-Americans and 13 percent of Hispanics had four-year degrees.

The real question remains, however, as to what exactly causes this gap in higher education.

Conservative justices on the Supreme Court would prefer not to talk about that, but in reality it’s because there’s a huge monetary gap between races as well.

As of 2009, the median household net worth for white Americans was $113,149. Black Americans had a median household net worth of only $5,677, and Hispanics didn’t fare much better at $6,325.

Now, that isn’t to say affirmative action is a perfect program in any stretch of the imagination.

Rather, the Editorial Board finds it disconcerting that the Court deemed it acceptable for a majority of citizens to theoretically limit the opportunities of the minority.

In her dissenting opinion, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor said, “Without checks, democratically approved legislation can oppress minority groups.”

At IU, there’s obviously a racial gap between students. For the freshmen class this year, only 19 percent of students were not white, and an additional 8 percent of students were international.

The Editorial Board firmly believes affirmative action, when applied correctly, can give those who are less fortunate in Indianapolis or Gary a shot at getting an education and bettering themselves.

Justice Sotomayor is absolutely correct in her dissent. The people of Michigan have voted to limit the opportunities of the less fortunate.

Is there a better solution than affirmative action? There might be.

The point, however, is that we are still unsure of what that better solution really is.

Meanwhile, the high court seems to be more comfortable with doing nothing than at least attempting to address racial inequality.

The answer to solving racial inequality is not going to be found by burying our heads in the sand and hoping the issue solves itself.

Society has shackled people of color with unnecessary wage, employment and education gaps. And now the Supreme Court wants to only tighten the cuffs.

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