Handicapping Blacks

Around this time every year we hear about "The Rooney Rule" in the NFL. Basically it requires teams to interview at least one minority coaching candidate. I find this insulting to everyone, especially to black people. Similarly "Affirmative Action" basically requires colleges to accept a certain amount of minority applicants. These types of things are also hypocritical and counterproductive in my opinion.

I think it's insulting because it tells us that we need special treatment in order to get to the "white man's" level. I would hate to be the Rooney Candidate if I'm interviewing for a coaching job. Regardless if I'm actually the best qualified candidate, I would feel insulted that I was only interviewed because of my skin color. It's also insulting to owners who conduct the interviews. It tells them that they can't find the best candidate on their own, as if without the rule they wouldn't know the possibilities they could find in differently colored individuals. I'm sure owners wouldn't choose a less qualified coach just because he's white, and if they do (which maybe some owners would; I know there's still a lot of racial prejudice out there, I'm not that ignorant), but even if they do choose less qualified candidates, it's to their own detriment. If racism is in someone's heart, forcing them to interview a minority isn't going to change their perspective. It insults those who aren't prejudice by assuming that they will be racially biased in their search for a coach. I would hate to be in either position.

I also say it's hypocritical simply because while supposedly trying to "End Racism", they are promoting a blatantly racist rule. There has to be one non-white coaching candidate. That's judging solely based on race. How is that not racist? MLK famously says he wants his children to be judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. But this rule obviously takes heavy consideration into the color of your skin. Racism will never end when we have racist policies.

It is counterproductive because it handicaps blacks. It tells us that we are not good enough on our own and we need assistance in order to have the opportunity to get ahead. These policies favor blacks and does not encourage us to work harder to get ahead in life. When laws explicitly put blacks at a disadvantage, blacks actually rose up and were determined to succeed in their own businesses (i.e Black Wall Street), schools, sports, etc. Blacks were specifically excluded from these things, but found ways to to many of their own things. I can probably argue that forced integration was detrimental to black people, but I really haven't done enough research to support that theory. Either way I feel that it puts a mental handicap on black people to have these policies in place. We're being told that we don't necessarily have to work as hard to have opportunities for success. I know there are many determined and hard working blacks, but overall I think it sets us back when we're basically being told that we're naturally less qualified than others and require special assistance.

With the way things are going, I feel we are going in the wrong direction. While trying to be progressive in certain areas, we set ourselves back. When we give special treatment to certain groups of people, it gives other groups reason to resent that group. We have certainly come a long way from where we were in the past, but I really don't see us going much further when it comes to race relations. That's all for now. I'm sure I'll blog about more controversial things.