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The blog reel is a weekly update of issues related the PF topic. But it’s much more than just a list of links. Each week, you’ll get summaries, analysis, and pointers to update your cases and increase your knowledge capacity. Use them as extensions for your case, frontlines, or arguments against your opponents. In any case, use the information listed in the reel to stay on top of research.

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This Week In Affirmative Action Education News

The two big pieces of news this week revolved around a piece of Utah State legislation to ban affirmative action (based on CA principles) and a potential new lawsuit in CA to combat the ban that currently exists in the state.

Since a statewide proposition banned affirmative action across the state on a 55% majority, California has rejected affirmative action and upheld the ban in the court system. Utah, following suit with California and several other states, is seeking a state constitutional amendment to eliminate anything other than a merit based system, claiming a merit based system is the least discriminatory.

Affirmative Action Ban Debate in Utah

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14484512

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14390177

• Groups in Utah have proposed HJR24 which would ban affirmative action
• Opposing groups claim that Utah will become “culturally bankrupt” without affirmative action
• Supporters of the Utah legislation point to California’s successful ban
• Ban on gender favoring led to a lawsuit in California to close down breast cancer clinics (because they favored women)—this is the type of slippery slope argument that is proven in the literature base: bans on affirmative action lead to outrageous policy crossovers
• No ‘negative’ side effects claimed by California ban (the next section provides a contrary viewpoint)

University of California to be sued

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/16/local/la-me-affirm16-2010feb16

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14412311?nclick_check=1

http://socialistworker.org/2010/03/01/anti-racists-turn-up-the-heat

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local-beat/Group-Bring-Affirmative-Action-Back-to-UC-84476727.html

• CA ban on affirmative action since 1996
• Ban created a “racial caste system”
• New court environment favorable to affirmative action
• Latina/o and Native American college entrance decreasing at UC Berkeley
• Affirmative action policies have stirred up racial tensions (3^rd article)
• Previous courts have rejected opposition to the ban

Florida programs have not improved minority attendance

http://www.thefamuanonline.com/opinions/initiative-upholds-status-quo-1.2172823

• This article is not hot evidence in either direction; it does, however, discuss the need for tutoring programs before college
• Could support arguments that Affirmative Action alone is not enough to solve inequality

There is a difference between fairness and justice.

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_14462559

• Affirmative action is just (because it makes reparations); it was not designed to be fair
• Even though this is an opinion letter, the analysis can help answer the claim that Affirmative action is discriminatory in itself

Eliminating Affirmative Action Would Decrease Minority Enrollment

http://dailycollegian.com/2010/02/04/new-study-assesses-potential-impact-of-eliminating-affirmative-action/

• Hispanic attendance would decrease 2-4 points nationwide, 10% decline at selective schools
• The schools that take in the top 20 SAT scorers, factor race in more heavily in the status quo…if affirmative action were banned fewer minorities would make it to the top schools
• Affirmative action ban would have largest affect on minority admittance

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