Defying Logic

Riddle Me This Batman: How can one group of voters re-elect a struggling democratic Governor, protect the lives/rights of a common song bird and also abolish affirmative action?

It defies logic! Put personal opinions aside on the issues for a minute and just try to figure this one out? I can’t do it. It would be interesting to get some statistics on this – did anyone out there vote that way on their ballot or is this some sort of mathematical phenomenon? (Sorry, I’m not good at statistics) I’m pretty sure, that in order for these three things to pass that there had to be some Michigan voters who voted
1. For Granholm,
2. No on a hunting season for Mourning Doves, and
3. Yes to abolish Affirmative Action
Gee – which one of these doesn’t fit?

If you guessed # 3 you win the prize! But unfortunately the minorities in Michigan lose – big time. (okay, if you didn’t notice, now I got my personal opinions back out) I think what burns me about this campaign almost as much as the effect it will have, is the way it was cloaked like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, so to speak. The premise was that “equal is equal” and that Affirmative Action is a bad thing for minorities because it sets them apart and thereby sets them up to be discriminated against. However the actual people I spoke to who were voting to abolish Affirmative Action had much more the attitude that “they” (the minorities) shouldn’t get hand outs or special treatment and that Affirmative Action has swung so far as to cause an environment of reverse discrimination.

I don’t argue that Affirmative Action was a perfect system, it had flaws, I’m sure. But to completely do away with it is like taking three giant steps backward in social justice. Does anyone with a brain believe that our society has evolved to the point where prejudice no longer exists and that a minority has a fair and equal chance in our society compared to a white male? I wish we lived in that kind of world, but we are far from it, and now we will move even further from it. It is a sad commentary on our culture. We should be ashamed.

Moving to a lighter note – just for fun – do you want to hear what I have to say about hunting Mourning Doves??? (too bad, I’m gonna’ tell ya’ anyway!) Are there not enough species to hunt that you have to turn to your back yard bird feeder? PLEASE! Oh no, please don’t tell me how you love the taste of Mourning Doves – RIGHT! Oh, or better yet, the one about how they’re not endangered, so why not? My response to that is: “people aren’t endangered either, go for it!” A friend of mine (who will remain nameless) was telling me that her husband (a big hunter) voted to allow a Mourning Dove hunting season because he figured it was just the first step, and that next he would lose other hunting rights, I said, “I guess this is a matter of perspective – what makes him think he has that right to begin with?” Honestly, what gives man the right to kill anything he wants (I use the word “man” here as a species, not as a gender). Besides, no one was taking away an existing hunting season, there wasn’t a hunting season on Mourning Doves in Michigan to begin with. What’s next, Cardinals? Blue Jays? Chickadees? (Hey I hear they’re good eatin’ too, Maynard!)

Oh, and just in case you were wondering where I stand on re-electing Granholm: You go girl! :-)