Letter to the Editor on Affirmative Action

Dear Editor,


Oklahoma is getting ready for a fight over over affirmative action. State Question 759, which aims to ban affirmative action, will appear on 2012's ballot. Are we seriously going to let such a wonderful policy slip out of our hands? States that have banned affirmative action have seen a decrease in the population of minorities and women in colleges, universities, and jobs. For example, in California, at UC Davis, the percentage of new faculty hires dramatically dropped from 52% of women to 13%. Similarly, in Washington State, after affirmative action was restricted, the share of Seattle public works contracts awarded to women or minority owned firms dropped by 25%. In fact, the numbers of black and Latino students drop 16 to 17 percent at schools with affirmative action bans.


We need to urge our citizens to vote "NO" to this destructive legislation. Minorities and women are already discriminated against and have a low representation in jobs and schools. If we snatch this policy away from them, then surely, we will see a further decline in them, as statistics show. Personally, I believe, considering the time the whole United States is in, any loss will be destructive. As these statistics show, SQ 759 is a terrible trap that we might get caught in if we do not vote against it on 2012's ballot!


Thanks, 
Nida Safdar