Speech #920191489

There are. of course. more sophisticated measures of discrimination. Although more sophisticated measures require more energetic enforcement. only use of those valid measures will help end all discrimination in the long run. For now. the percentage standard necessarily leads to ethnic quota systems and new discrimination. In a city like New York. it discriminates against one disadvantaged minority to help another. Many teachers of the Jewish faith or ItaloAmerican background have feared or been threatened with denial of teaching positions or advancement and the demand that they be replaced by black teachers. The quota system begs the question: "Whos next?" Will blacks be forced to give up their newly won gains in a few years hence to make room for some newly. discovered minoritysay South Asian immigrants? This kind of quota game is endless and is no answer to discrimination. In part. it even adds to the problems of those minority groups currently favored by the quota game. For example. by denying black and Spanishsurnamed students. teachers chosen on merit only rather than by quota. the students suffer and their ability to overcome discrimination suffers. The use of quota systems is unfortunately part of a larger problem. The suburban outlook which controls the White House and Albany is increasingly pitting one minority or disadvantaged group against another. Each discriminated group is told to "go after" the others if it wants anything.