Affirmative Action Ban Makes 2010 Ballot in Arizona

Ward Connerly, from California, knows all about discrimination based on color. He is a black man, understands the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act, and states that all people, not just blacks, have civil rights. He has brought his fight for civil rights and equal justice under law to help Arizona. source.

Senate moves affirmative-action ban to 2010 ballot
By Christian Palmer - christian.palmer@azcapitoltimes.com
Published: June 22, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Next year, Arizona voters will be asked to determine whether to ban government use of preferential treatment based on race and gender when it comes to employment, education and contracting.

On June 22, the Senate passed SCR1031 in a 17-11 party-line vote favoring the Republican majority. The measure mimics a 2008 ballot initiative effort that was ultimately disqualified due to a lack of sufficient number of valid signatures of Arizona voters.

The 2008 measure, dubbed the Arizona Civil Rights Initiative, was led by former California Board of Regent Ward Connerly.

After the proposal received approval from the Senate, Connerly held a press conference with several legislators in support of the ballot referendum.

Connerly, who is black, said proposals that ban preferential treatment programs based on race and gender do so in the “mirror” image of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 that outlawed racial segregation and solidified equal rights for all citizens.

“This is government that we’re allowing to discriminate on race and gender,” said Connerly, adding, “It isn’t reverse discrimination, it’s discrimination.”

Connerly’s legislative efforts were led by Rep. Steve Montenegro, a freshman lawmaker from Litchfield Park, and Sen. Russell Pearce of Mesa. Both introduced identical referendums, although Pearce’s version was substituted in place of Montenegro’s on the Senate floor.

Montenegro said he believed the referendum will eliminate racial- and gender-preference programs operated by the cities of Phoenix and Tucson, and others in use by Arizona’s universities.

The preferential programs send minorities a message that they are inferior and in need of special treatment to be successful, he said.

A Most Effective Statement of the Crime of Discrimination through Affirmative Action

You won’t find plain English statements of the evil intent and evil result of affirmative action like these often.

“This is government that we’re allowing to discriminate on race and gender,” said Connerly, adding, “It isn’t reverse discrimination, it’s discrimination.”

And

“The preferential programs send minorities a message that they are inferior and in need of special treatment to be successful”, he said.

Arizona voters have an opportunity to bring equal justice under law to their state in 2010. It will be a good opportunity to approve civil rights that have less chance of being overturned by radical judges as it is carefully crafted and specific to racial and sexual discrimination. If successful, this will bring justice to one state only, but it is a start. Perhaps one day it will go national and include the worst offender, our federal government.