The Detroit Free Press - From Our Readers - Michigan Civil Rights Initiative: Will State Proposal Hurt Women?

Detroit Free Press

From Our Readers - Michigan Civil Rights Initiative: Will State Proposal Hurt Women?

April 18, 2006

In response to Nichole Christian's April 14 column, "All women of Michiganshould rally against MCRI injustices": In the first place, both of the named plaintiffs in the two discrimination complaints against the University of Michigan -- Jennifer Gratz and Barbara Grutter -- were white women. Further, the majority of university admissions today are going to women. Using the logic of Christian's argument, we should be having affirmative action programs for men.

The incessant claim by MCRI opponents that prohibiting race and gender discrimination will end such things as breast and cervical cancer screening, breast-feeding promotion, etc. is "the big lie," a fallacy that they hope, if repeated often enough, will be taken as truth.

MCRI does not apply to any aspect of health care. It is specifically limited to education, employment and contracting. And even within that limitation, one of the provisions explicitly states: "Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as prohibiting bona fide qualifications based on sex that are reasonably necessary to the normal operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting."

Gregory Creswell
Detroit

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http://www.michigancivilrights.org/freep_letters_4_18_06.html