What bothers me about the Berkley bake sale?

Let me start with a quote from Tim Wise, author of the book White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son: “The point that I think needs to be made ... is that by the time anyone steps on a college campus ... there has already been 12- to 13-years of institutionalized affirmative action for white folks, that is to say, racially embedded inequality, which has benefited those of us who are white.”

Hard as it might be to add anything valuable to this befitting statement, I will try now.

The story itself is short and simple. In a crass protest against discriminative college admissions, University of California Berkley republican leaning students planned to stage a bake sale where the price of baked goods would depend on race and gender.

The emotions this story churned up have been choleric and extreme ranging from loud cheering to angry death threats.

Why is it that despite being a white man myself, I don’t feel that this peppery display of discontent with affirmative action, one that undeniably even has a sense of ingenuity and a seed of truth to it, would represent me? Quite the contrary, I feel embarrassed that we, white men, insult so insensitively so many people who have suffered so much discrimination throughout history from "us".

I could say that, having been the perpetrators for centuries, it is just right to give us a little taste of our own medicine. But I’m not saying this, since “an eye for an eye” has never worked in history and I doubt it ever will.

So, then I could say that affirmative action is an unjust reverse discrimination and therefore I should celebrate the brave, socially conscious warriors who stood up against it. Right?

But I can’t.

Why?

These brave champions of social justice at Berkley have forgotten that disadvantage is not necessarily a reflection on the disadvantaged themselves. They forgot that tremendous human values have already been lost because minorities and women, or in broader term the underprivileged, did not have the same opportunity to excel that the usually well off white men had. In the Western world debilitating poverty, antiquated traditions that paralyze self expression, and an environment that can’t nurture those who are exceptional, have all weighed much more heavily on minorities and women than on white men.

One can argue that throughout history numerous individuals who were disadvantaged due to race or gender, I might add religion, sexual preference, etc., succeeded. Perhaps a prime example is George Washington Carver, who was born to slaves and became an innovative agricultural chemist – crop rotation; see: http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/30.html -. Mahatma Gandhi, earned his place in history despite heavy racial discrimination in the British ruled India and South Africa, Marie Curie was rewarded Noble Prize for her scientific genius, Oprah became a media sensation despite her race, gender and simple background.

The forces behind the bake sale may ask. Do you see all the success stories? So, why do we need affirmative action in schools? Once one is talented and determined, he/she will succeed; only the lazy and unmotivated will need undeserved help for their success.

Not so fast, I’d say.

The above examples don’t prove a just social-educational system, rather, they serve as a wake up call for us, White Men, showing the untapped treasure among minorities, women and in a much broader sense, among the poor and underprivileged. With great deal of unease in my mind I ponder over how many Oprahs, Marie Curies, Gandhis and Carvers humanity lost due to discriminative social structures?

Once the problem is recognized and the paralyzing fetter of being underprivileged acknowledged, the focus should shift from futile arguments over discrimination or reverse discrimination to efforts how to make the playing field truly even for everyone.

Yes, I admit that affirmative action is merely a band-aid to patch up sever wounds in society but at the moment this is the best we have. Eventually, society will have to restructure itself in a way that eliminates poverty, prejudice, and certain spiritual and cultural burdens that weigh heavily on those who would thrive to succeed. I admit that it will be a long road and at the end it may perhaps lead us into Utopia. Nevertheless, I believe in the ultimate rationalism of mankind that eventually will recognize the value of fully utilized, all inclusive collective wisdom.

Until this happens, the chocolate cookie sellers should bang on the doors of their leaders demanding a social environment that would negate the need for affirmative action.