Candidate Review
Civil
Rights
General
Wesley Clark
This is from Clark's webpage.
"I saw what could be accomplished when the doors of
opportunity are fully opened to all. We had such a system in the U.S. military,
through our strong affirmative action program. I was honored to serve with, and
serve under, some outstanding African American leaders. I saw many proud young
African American men and women thrive when treated with the dignity and respect
they deserve. And through their service, they prepared for college and for
careers, using their talent and determination to compete fairly and equally
with others. As President, I'd do everything I can to make sure that the people
of the rest of our nation - in government, in the business sector, in education,
in health care - are treated fairly and equally as well.
. . . Throughout my career, I have seen the meaning,
consequence, and importance of affirmative action firsthand. I was proud to
join a group of retired military officers who filed a brief with the U.S.
Supreme Court in support of affirmative action at the University of Michigan. I
think such policies are necessary to facilitate diversity within, and thus the
legitimacy of, the nation's leadership. And the Supreme Court agreed on the
importance of diversity, relying on the successes of the military model.
America cannot be a great nation without the leadership of our very best - of
all races, from all parts of the country. Affirmative action ensures that
future leaders who might otherwise never get a chance are brought to the
forefront. As a result, Americans - all Americans - benefit. "
Former
Governor Howard Dean
The following quotes are from his
webpage.
"I strongly support well-tailored affirmative
action programs. All Americans deserve an equal opportunity to succeed, and
these policies help the nation move toward that ideal. They also help
strengthen our economy and society. American history is characterized by too
much discrimination, intolerance and inequality. But there is also a long
tradition of Americans helping each other to overcome adversity and build a
better nation, and affirmative action is firmly in that tradition.
. . . When President Bush used the inflammatory word
“quota” to describe the Michigan program, I criticized him for distorting the
facts. In fact, the Supreme Court rejected that misleading label. It is time
for the President to stop using code words that divide Americans by race. With
the ink barely dry on the Court’s recent decision, opponents of affirmative
action threatened to make the dismantling of these efforts a litmus test for
future Supreme Court nominations. As President, I will instead appoint judges
who display a commitment to equal rights, and who recognize that affirmative
action is a constitutional means to further that goal."
Senator
John Edwards
Here are comments from a speech on Martin
Luther King Jr.'s Birhday , earlier this year.
"We have come far, but we have far to go:
The Constitution now guarantees blacks the right to vote;
now we have to put an end to practices that lead to the deprivation of minority
voting rights once and for all.
We have laws guaranteeing equal opportunity; now, we have
to address the underlying economic conditions that still result in an average
African-American income that is barely half that of whites.
We have laws prohibiting segregation in public education;
now we have to do something about a school system that is becoming increasingly
re-segregated, leaving too many minority children the victims of by inadequate
education funding, inferior schools, and indifference.
More than anything, leadership means recognizing that civil
rights is not a zero sum game where "we" give something to
"them"-whether it's women or minorities or immigrants.
The civil rights movement was not about some
"them." It was about "us." All of us. It was about
transforming America into a nation so much closer to living out the true
meaning of our creed."
Representative
Dick Gephardt
Here is a quote
from the candidate.
"I believe affirmative action is an essential tool
in expanding educational opportunities. It is our responsibility to continually
support diversity in higher education."
And here is a section from his website.
As president, Dick Gephardt will commit his
administration to realizing our nation's promise of equal justice and
opportunity for all.
Our nation has made great progress in civil rights, but
there is still much work left to do. Discrimination in all forms -- from the
workplace to the classroom to the voting booth -- must be ended once and for
all. As president, Gephardt will work to provide economic opportunity for all
Americans, support affirmative action programs, protect voting rights and
expand the federal jurisdiction of intolerable hate crimes.
Senator
John Kerry
We have two quotes from the civil rights part of Kerry's web page. The first is
from the candidate himself and the second is from the discussion of Affirmative
Action (and unatributed).
“We need to guarantee equal rights and civil rights and
say that, here in America, workers have the right to organize -- women have the
right to choose - and justice belongs to everyone regardless of race or gender
or sexual orientation.”
"John Kerry believes in an America where we take
common sense steps to ensure that our schools and workplaces reflect the full
face of America. He has consistently opposed efforts in the Senate to undermine
or eliminate affirmative action programs and supports programs that seek to
enhance diversity, for example, by fostering the growth of minority small
businesses."
Senator
Dennis Kucinich
Here is Dennis Kucinich, speaking during the Minnisota
affirmative action case of a couple of months ago.
"America's diversity is a strength, not a weakness,
and it is absolutely critical that we nurture programs that enhance
opportunities for those who have been historically left behind. To do nothing,
to abolish affirmative action, is to use de jure means to fall back into the de
facto segregation of the past, which made a mockery of democracy, equality,
liberty and justice - the very values on which this nation was founded.
Affirmative action is still essential because a truly level
playing field is still an elusive goal, not a reality. Today, we stand united
in our support of affirmative action and the University of Michigan. Our nation
is at a critical junction; the Supreme Court must not send our nation back into
some of the darkest moments in our history, but instead lead our nation to a
fair and just future."
Senator
Joe Lieberman
These are comments
Lieberman made at the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of of the March on
Washington (August 28, 2003).
Their question is the question that your generation and
mine must both ask where is America today, when people of color still struggle
for the promise of equal opportunity guaranteed by our Constitution, and their
leaders still struggle to even get a meeting in the White House. Where are we,
when jobs are going away, poverty is going up, incomes are going down, and
affirmative action is under challenge?
The answer is we are not where America's national values
and purpose require us to be. So the March on Washington must continue until
"justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."
Al
Sharpton
I'm going to quote from the section
on his support for a Voting Rights Amendment.
What are the advantages of fighting for human rights and
constitutional amendments? Human rights and constitutional amendments are
non-partisan (they're neither Democratic nor Republican), they're
non-ideological (they're not liberal, moderate, or conservative), and they're
non-programmatic (they don't require a particular means, approach or program to
realize them). They're also not a "special interest."
If we pass a new voting rights amendment, the next civil
rights movement will emerge fighting for congressional legislation - while also
using the federal courts - to implement the Voting Rights Amendment.
Former
Ambassador Carol Mosley Braun
This is from Ms. Mosely
Braun's website, which is pretty well organized.
"The struggle is to get to the point where the
relationships exist and the confidence abides in women and minorities to lead
our business community. Indeed, the paucity of both in the boardrooms makes
clear that many of the 'old boys' are still more comfortable with one another
than with racial or gender diversity.
The survival of affirmative action creates hope that
opportunity exists for those who have not yet had a chance to lead and that
performance and talent will be rewarded. That hope keeps our society on a path
toward progress and the fulfillment of the promise of the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution. The Supreme Court's recent decision
regarding the challenge to the University of Michigan's law school program kept
alive the light of that hope. May it guide the district court in its
decision-making regarding the pending challenge to the City of Chicago's effort
to support affirmative action in contracting."