Learning The Lessons of Quotas

October 1, 2007

 

I'm usually the first person to give the liberal media grief, but I have to applaud CBS's 60 Minutes . They did a remarkable job portraying Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as he is rather than how the media have tried to paint him over the last 16 years. Heretofore, the loud cacophony of voices from the likes of Al Sharpton had drowned out the truth. 60 Minutes laid out that truth for all to see. The segment completely destroyed the old stereotype you've been fed by Sharpton and Company.

 

Clarence Thomas is an American success story. Being raised primarily by his grandfather in the segregated south, Thomas learned to work hard and study even harder. He was bound and determined to make something of himself because his grandfather had instilled in him a sense of self-worth.

 

Sharpton and his crowd accuse Thomas of taking advantage of affirmative action then pulling the ladder up after himself after climbing to the top. In reality, it was his experience at Yale as a black student that helped shape his view on minority set-asides and quotas. He knew he had earned his way to Yale but because the university made a practice of accepting some black students primarily because of the color of their skin, he found himself stereotyped as one of those students. Thomas said he found after graduation that his diploma wasn't worth 15 cents.

 

Fortunately for Thomas, he chose the right path. Instead of falling for the self-pity and anger of the quota forces, he forged a new path for blacks to follow; a path of pride and self-reliance and unambiguous success. It's the same path that would lead to bitter accusations of his selling out to the white man and of becoming an “Uncle Tom.” Thomas wouldn't allow himself to be shackled to the sinking ship of government dependency and the stereotypes of what some said it meant to be “truly black.” He found success through the simple methods he had been taught of self-reliance and hard work.

 

On the same edition of 60 Minutes , another report featured Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young. By all accounts, Young should either be dead or in jail by now. Growing up, his father was a thief who spent most of his time in prison. His mother was an alcoholic and a drug abuser who oftentimes left him in the care of his grandmothers. Vince was hanging out with the wrong crowd, joining gangs and getting into trouble. It wasn't until his mother was called to school only to see Vince in handcuffs that both realized their lives had to change. She sobered up and found God while Vince realized it was time to buckle down and hit the books or he'd end up like his father.

 

Both Vince Young and Clarence Thomas had to overcome incredible odds to get where they are. I thought the only thing missing from 60 Minutes was a piece on Mychal Bell, the lightning rod in the Jena Six case down in Louisiana. Bell is not unlike Vince Young. He was the star quarterback on his high school team. He's been in trouble with the law. Instead of a “come to Jesus” moment, Bell has been buoyed by thousands of voices telling him that he is the victim, that nothing he's done is his fault. He's been led to believe that society has let him down.

The difference between Mychal Bell and people like Clarence Thomas and Vince Young is, thank God, there was no Al Sharpton around when they were coming of age to lead them astray.