Nebraska voters face few easy decisions at the polls on Tuesday. But one easy decision is a NO vote to Initiative 424, euphemistically named the Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative.
The Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative is a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at eliminating racial and gender preferences in public hirings and college admission decisions. Better known as the Ward Connerly Amendment, named after the California man who has taken his anti-affirmative action campaign nationwide, Initiative 424 would effectively eliminate affirmative action in Nebraska.
Affirmative action opponents argue that the practice often results in reverse discrimination by preventing qualified white males from getting jobs, scholarships or admission to colleges.
The problem for students with this proposition lies in its effect on the university. The University of Nebraska has programs specifically created and funded to foster diversity on campus, including scholarship for minority students. If this amendment passes, those programs will then go unfunded.
A number of university officials also worry about the unknown and unforeseen consequences of the amendment on higher education. Both UNL Chancelor Harvey Perlman and NU President J.B. Milliken have voiced their concerns about how this might affect university facilities such as the culture center and programs such as those of the women’s center. While there is no guarantee these types of programs will be affected, there is no guarantee they won’t be either.
Regardless of your stance on affirmative action, the Ward Connerly Amendment is not the right way to eliminate it in Nebraska. The amendment’s unpredictable consequences make it too much of a risk to higher education and to students. When voters reach Initiative 424 on the ballot, I hope its an easy no vote.
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