It’s Back – Affirmative Action As Seen By “Anti-Affirmative” Talk Host

Tell me if you've heard this one before.  The Washington State legislature has ruled on Affirmative Action.

Seattle Radio Talk show host John Carlson from AM 570 KVI, Seattle, helped lead the effort to remove "affirmative action" from Washington State back in 1998.

Now that the Democrats control state government and progressivism rules the day, affirmative action is coming back. Or at least that's their intent. It may still face a referendum and another statewide ballot vote.

Carson has shared his thoughts on the legislature passage of I-1000.

"The initiative itself can be explained in a single sentence: I-1000 would abolish the standard of equality under the law, regardless of race, as required by I-200 (an initiative I led in 1998), and replace it with a system that uses different rules for people of different races in public employment and education."

As supporters gush over the idea of returning to affirmative action, Carlson asks the rather obvious question. "I-1000 also goes out of its way, even in its ballot title, to point out that it would “ban preferential treatment.” So how does an initiative that would repeal a previous initiative that banned preferential treatment claim that it prohibits preferential treatment?"

According to Carlson it's a simple word game. Change the definition of what is interpreted as preferential treatment.  (it depends on what "is"is?  sound familiar?)

Washington decided I-200 in 1998 and despite fears of end of earth outcomes, it passed by almost 17 percentage points included winning 41 percent of the Democratic vote.

Times change, or do they?  It's likely we'll get another public vote and then we'll see if the last 20 years -where everyone was to be judged and selected based on their merits beyond race- has worked well enough to remain the law of the land in Washington State.