Equal Means Equal

I helped put it on the ballot

Not only am I the only gubernatorial candidate to support proposal 2 and oppose state-sponsored discrimination. 

 I helped put it on the ballot…

 I personally gathered hundreds of signatures on the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative petition, and I deeply resent the accusations, by opponents of equal rights, that I deceived anyone.

The actual caption from the petition said: 

A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION TO PROHIBIT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AND OTHER STATE UNIVERSITIES, THE STATE, AND ALL OTHER STATE ENTITIES FROM DISCRIMINATING OR GRANTING PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT BASED ON RACE, SEX, COLOR, ETHNICITY, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN.

Source: http://mcri2006.org

The text of the proposal, immediately below this description, went on to list the areas of state and local government to which it would apply:

• public education,
• public employment,
• and public contracting.

 And it made some common sense exceptions that opponents, such as One United Michigan, ignore. 

The proposal exempts any “bona fide qualifications based on sex that are reasonably necessary to the normal operation” of government functions like, for instance, women’s health care and sports programs, separate restroom facilities, and so forth.  And it permits continued participation in any federal programs where “ineligibility would result in a loss of federal funds to the state.”

 How is any of this misleading? 

Opponents’ speeches and advertising have misrepresented this proposal.

 MCRI will, in fact, do nothing more than finally incorporate into our state constitution the very same prohibition against categorizing citizens by race – and then treating them differently on that basis – that began in the late 1950’s in response to Jim Crow laws, and culminated in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

 It seems the reason MCRI opponents are so exercised about this effort is because it will achieve the original goal of the civil rights movement by using nearly identical language.

 It’s not those of us who oppose racial categorization who are being deceitful, it is apologists for the looking-glass world of race-based affirmative action.

 It seems to be beyond the comprehension of a frightening number of our fellow citizens that equal means equal.

 The very essence of civil rights is that they must belong to all of us – regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin.   It's long past time that our Michigan constitution actually said so.

 Anyone who wants to read THE COMPLETE text of the amendment should visit mcri2006.org

The ballot language isn’t what becomes law.  If passed the language you will find at this site is what will become law.