Friday, February 3, 2006

My Tucson: Let's make Tucson a colorblind community

BARNEY BRENNER

Tucson Citizen

What do you call someone who evaluates others based on their race? Obvious, isn't it? And obnoxious.

We recently commemorated the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., a man with a magnificent dream: that his children, and by extension all of America's children, "will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Yet our own Tucson Citizen, above a story about the University of Arizona's selection of a new president just days after King's birthday, ran the headline, "No Hispanics, blacks are among UA finalists."

What's wrong with this picture?

Is anyone saying an equally or more qualified candidate was denied consideration because of race? If so, bring forth the evidence so we can recognize the injustice. Otherwise, we should celebrate the achievements of the nominees, not carp about their color or lack thereof.

Another headline on the same page read, "Leaders: Diversity must be priority of Likins successor." Well, what about excellence as the priority, especially in education? Diversity at the expense of excellence is a disservice to those who work hardest to achieve and a disincentive to that achievement.

Excellence and ability exist in all races and both genders. It's long past time to realize that treating diversity as a Holy Grail is to call attention to a person's sex or skin color - an approach abhorrent to King's call for colorblindness.

And there's another problem with stressing sex or skin. When there's an implication that someone got where they did because of gender or race - whether white, black, brown or any other - it's an insult to their abilities and a taint on their accomplishments.

When it's clear that they reached their position on merit, second thoughts are dispelled and replaced with appreciation.

NEXT PAGE» 1, 2