On Thursday afternoon, Noticias Telemundo mediodía delivered a disheartening blow by discussing the constitutionality of affirmative action following two Supreme Court decisions striking race as a factor in admissions for private and public universities. Throughout the lead story, correspondent Cristina Londoño repeatedly exhibited a lack of understanding on the subject.
She began by suggesting this historical event will make it harder for Hispanics and other minorities to gain university acceptance, emphasizing that "their past" had been "taken into account" in order to highlight the challenges they faced:
And the thing is, it's a historic decision. For decades, these affirmative action programs have provided benefits to minorities, students of color, and Hispanics when being accepted into universities. Their past was taken into account, how their lives faced more challenges, and in order for this society to be equal, an egalitarian society, they needed a little push when it came to entering university.
Here's the thing, Cristina. Life experiences can still be considered for admissions, and applicants can certainly share their stories of overcoming hardship and seizing opportunities. That's still perfectly acceptable. What the Supreme Court has said is unacceptable is more or less having a checkbox for race and giving priority to that.
Personally, as someone who has lived in the U.S. for 35 years since the age of 10, it's infuriating that my race should be paramount. Will it determine whether you value my life or not? Furthermore, it's important to note that there haven't been quotas for the number or types of minorities since the 1978 decision Regents of University of California v. Bakke, so it's ultimately up to the schools to decide how they promote diversity.
Next, Londoño mentioned Harvard grad Jose Coronado's sadness over his belief the ruling will cause lower-income minorities to lose their chance to attend college.
However, income can still be taken into consideration for admissions. Therefore,Coronado can rest assured that lower-income minorities will still have a fair opportunity for acceptance:
I spoke with Jose Coronado, a Harvard graduate, and he says he received the news like a punch in the stomach. With great sadness, because he says that thanks to those programs, he was able to go to Harvard, and now his heart aches thinking about minority students who come from poor communities.
So, what's strike three? Well, Londoño echoed the sentiments of the three liberal judges, leaning into the left's pessimistic view toward the country and its Founding. Last time I checked, racism meant making decisions based on the color of one's skin. The Supreme Court's decision prevents race from being a determining factor in admissions.
For the left, it can't be stated enough so they can understand this as clearly as possible: Diversity, as a term, isn't exclusive to one's skin color.
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