It Seems Like Self-Defense to Me

Let me first offer the disclaimer that I am not a lawyer. But if even one man--let alone two--broke into my house, I am certain I would stab them. If I had the presence of mind. And a knife handy.

AMHERST, Mass.—About 200 University of Massachusetts students and faculty members have rallied on the Amherst campus in support of a former student they say has been excessively charged for an on-campus fight. Jason Vassell, who is black, is charged with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing two white men who broke his dorm room window and used racial epithets.Twenty-year-old John Bowes of Hancock, New Hampshire, has been charged with assault and hate crimes for the incident last month, while 19-year-old Jonathan Bosse of Milton has not been charged.Vassell's supporters say the two men provoked the fight and shouldn't face lesser charges. They say the incident reveals society's racism.Vassell, of Boston, has withdrawn from school.A university spokesman has declined to comment on the case.

I Don't Get Clarence Thomas

What world does he live in? But I digress.

In 1996 California voters rose up in protest against the Color Threat and passed Proposition We Hate Black People, Brown People, and People of the Feminine Persuasion 209, a nasty bit of legislation intended to dismantle affirmative action.

In order to fully understand why affirmative action is necessary, one must review the facts:

Slavery was ended only 154 years ago. (Emmett Till was murdered only 52 years ago.) The Civil Rights Act was passed only 40 years ago. (The Tuskegee Experiment ended only 35 years ago.) After only 10 years, not even enough time to begin addressing institutionalized discrimination practices, the Supreme Court already began to restrict affirmative action only 30 years ago.

But if you don't want to look at history, you can just look at the present circumstances. It seems so obvious that the demographics of the leadership of this country does not reflect the demographics of the country, as the vast majority of legislators and CEOs are white men, which means there is a problem that must be addressed. It seems highly unlikely to me that all who happen to be Brown people, Black people, or people of the feminine persuasion are not as smart nor as capable as the white men who run the show. If the lack is not in capacity, we must look to a lack in opportunity.

Recently, the state of California audited the 23 California State Universities and found that, indeed, there are not so many Brown people, Black people, or people of the feminine persuasion being hired, and the recommendation was made that the CSU "develop an affirmative action plan."