CALIFORNIA, without a doubt, has been the hot topic of politics in the nation all summer. With a historic recall possible and over 130 candidates vying for the governor's mansion, it's no surprise that the state has been in the spotlight of every news broadcast, talk show and late night stand-up routine for the past two months. The attention on the three-ring governor's circus has taken away from a very controversial and historic measure that will appear on the Oct. 7 ballot along with Arnold and Larry. Proposition 54, while not receiving much attention outside the Golden State, deserves not only passage by the California public but also notice and consideration throughout the United States.
Under Proposition 54, also known as the Racial Privacy Initiative (RPI), race and ethnicity would no longer be listed on both death and birth certificates. The proposal also prohibits state and local government bodies from collecting and using racial data ("Color-blind California?" CNN.com, August 8). The proposition reads in part, "The state shall not classify any individual by race, ethnicity, color or national origin in the operation of public education, public contracting or public employment."
If passed, Proposition 54 will be a huge step in helping American society with its racial woes. It's beyond obvious that for America to be free of racial strife and prejudice it must first become a color-blind society. Ward Connerly, member of the University of California Board of Regents and the main author and advocate of Proposition 54, has even stated that the main goal of the initiative is to "get the state government out of the racial classification business and move us one step closer to a color-blind society" ("The Color of California," The Wall Street Journal, Aug. 4). What better way to start looking beyond a person's color and race then to stop forcing everyone to qualify themselves as a this-American and a that-American?
The more Americans are asked about race, the more they are going to think about it. The more they think about race, the less they remain individuals with independent values, ideals, personalities and histories. And the more they become just a stereotype of whatever category in which they most conveniently fit. Every time a government official asks for a racial qualification, they are just feeding into the never-ending circle of racial prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination.
Not only are those oh-so-common little boxes with their hyphenated titles an obstacle to an unprejudiced society, they are also outdated. As of now, the United States census allows up to 63 racial qualifications -- still not enough to encompass the "melting pot" of American citizens. Racially-mixed children, increasing in population and now numbering almost 4.5 million, can not always find themselves in the little boxes. What does that say about them? It's demeaning to think that some races are "pure-bred" enough to warrant space on a government form while others are simply confined to the "other" category. We can't expect a racially equal society if we are unwilling to even present one on a standard form.
As always with something this racially charged and controversial, Proposition 54 has its opponents -- mainly a coalition of 400 special-interest groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, the California Medical Association and the League of Women Voters. The groups have formed together to fight the proposition that they believe "will endanger the health of every Californian."
Their argument, that without the racial information found on death certificates, scientists and medical professionals will be unable to track high mortality rates from specific causes in specific racial categories, is important but a flimsy argument nonetheless. The proposition itself acknowledges the need for research regarding specific ethnicities in regards to diseases like Tay-Sachs and sickle-cell anemia. It states unequivocally, "Otherwise lawful classification of medical research subjects and patients shall be exempt from this section." In laymen terms, if young Hispanic women are showing increasingly high mortality rates, then that matter of public health will be addressed regardless of the new restrictions in place by the RPI.
Opponents also argue that RPI will prevent governments from tracking racial discrimination in the workplace. These same detractors also argued that the infamous Proposition 209, which was also written by Connerly and banned public-sector racial discrimination, would decrease minority enrollment in institutions of higher education. Consequently since Proposition 209's passage, minority enrollment and graduation rate in California colleges and universities has done nothing but increase.
Unfortunately, the measure is more symbolic than effective. The Federal government will still be free to take racial statistics at its own whim.
But what a message California will be sending -- to stand up and say they will no longer be pigeonholed within racial lines and ethnic groups. They will no longer be viewed only as a skin tone. They will simply all be on an equal playing field, standing shoulder to shoulder as Americans.
(Maggie Bowden is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. She can be reached at mbowden@cavalierdaily.com.)
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