Women and Minorities

[dianahsieh]

By Diana from NoodleFood,cross-posted by MetaBlog

I was recently forwarded an academic job announcement that began with the following preliminary note:

I am writing to you because I hope you will bring the job advertisement below to the attention of qualified women and minorities who work in 18th and 19th century history of philosophy.

Sheesh, that might as well say: "Don't bother forwarding this announcement to white males; we're not interested in them, no matter how qualified they are." The note definitely says more than the standard boilerplate at the end of job announcements to the effect that women and minorities are encouraged to apply. I still object to that version, particularly since it reflects academia's now-standard reverse racism and sexism in hiring. Still, it doesn't convey the impression that white males are unwelcome, as the above note does.

Oh, but just imagine the uproar that this version would create: "I am writing to you because I hope you will bring the job advertisement below to the attention of qualified white males who work in 18th and 19th century history of philosophy."

http://ObjectivismOnline.com/blog/archives/002194.html

[IAmMetaphysical]

I was listening to liberal radio a few weeks ago and the host said something to the effect of "we have a good chance of having a president who is a minority, with Barack(sp?) Obama and Hillary Clinton, either one would make the first minority president." The last time I checked, women were the majority. Maybe that's changed.

[khaight]

The last time I checked, women were the majority. Maybe that's changed.

When leftists use the term "minority", it doesn't refer to the fact that the class being described is a statistical minority of a larger population. In lefty-speak, a "minority" is a protected victim group. This is why, for example, Asian students are not considered to be members of a 'minority' when discussing affirmative action in college admissions. Since they've actually earned admission based on merit they aren't a victim group and thus deserve to be punished.

There's also a vicious element of moral collectivism in the way leftists use this term. All members of a 'minority' are typically considered morally equivalent, and thus all deserve unearned benefits regardless of individual circumstance. This is why leftists champion college admissions procedures that make it easier for a middle-class black student to gain admission than a poor white student, while claiming that they are doing so for the benefit of the underprivileged. See, the blacks are a victim group, and the whites are an oppressor group, and that's all that matters.