America is not perfect, nor are we immune from the worst attributes of mankind. The election of Mr. Obama was hailed as demonstration that we had matured and except for the lunatic fringe a man’s race was no longer a barrier to election to the highest office in the land. We as a nation had conquered our bias. Unfortunately, our analysis was an illusion. Indeed we talk a great game, but, right here in my parochial world I personally am confronted by the Illinois Supreme Court’s demonstration of racism in the Lanre Amu case (suspended for three years for practicing law while black- i.e. compliance with Supreme Court Rule 8.3 and 18 USCA 4) and the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary commission barring civil rights icon Diane Nash from a kangaroo hearing involving JoAnne Denison.
A single example does not make a trend nor a criminal enterprise, but, even in the small group of individuals who have joined together to defend the elderly and the infirm from the exploitation of seniors from judicial and political criminals we have some rabid racists who raise their ugly heads. One group (whose rants I have attempted to block from my communications) actually claim that “Jews” are the cause of the problem of “elder cleansing.”
Defending the elderly and the disabled from those who War against the aforesaid elderly and disabled is by definition a thankless task. Indeed, do not expect gratitude or even the reward of looking in the mirror and being able to tell yourself – Job well done. The fight that is being waged by me is for me. I may become elderly or disabled and thus vulnerable to ‘elder cleansing.’ I’ve seen the ravages of ‘old age’ and ‘illness.’ I’ve visited clients in ‘nursing homes’ and I saw what happened to ES when he was placed in a nursing home for rehabilitation. I’ve seen the level of care that my wife’s grandparents received when they were placed in a sheltered care facility to recover from an auto accident[1]. I’ve practiced law in Cook County, Illinois for fifty three years. I am not Pollyanna!
During my practice of law, while no one discriminated against me until quite recently, I was aware that America’s core values were always under threat. During World War 2 thousands of Americans who had ancestors in Japan were actually herded from their homes and placed in concentration camps in the Mohave Desert! Like the Jews of Germany their entire life was snatched from them. America to its credit did not ‘gas’ them or make slaves out of them, but, we did exhibit our shame and disregard for our ‘core values.’ Of course we did not disturb the Nazi sympathizers. They openly operated in Chicago (at Lawrence and Western Ave) displaying all the symbols of the 3rd Reich and its anti-Semitic roots.
The War against the Elderly and the disabled is a repeat performance.
There is hope. It took 70 years for persons of Oriental origin to finally stand up and call a spade a spade. The following article appeared this morning on the internet.
Asian-American groups accuse Harvard of racial bias in admissions
(Photo: Elise Amendola, AP)
A coalition of Asian-American groups filed a federal complaint against Harvard University on Fridayalleging the school engaged in "systemic and continuous discrimination" against Asian Americans during its admissions process.
More than 60 Chinese, Indian, Korean and Pakistani groups came together for the complaint, which was filed with the civil rights offices at the justice and education departments. They are calling for an investigation into Harvard and other Ivy League institutions that they say should stop using racial quotas or racial balancing in admission.
"We want to eliminate discrimination of Asian Americans, and we want procedural justice for all racial groups," Yukong Zhao, one of the chief organizers and a guest columnist with the Orlando Sentinel, told NBC News. "All racial groups should be treated equal."
The coalition includes the Chinese-American Association of Orange County, in California; the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin, in New York; and the Pakistani Policy Institute, also in New York, Zhao told the network.
Robert Iuliano, Harvard University General Counsel, said in a statement that the university uses a "holistic admissions process" that is "fully compliant with federal law" to build a diverse class. He added that over the past decade the percentage of Asian American students admitted to Harvard College has increased from 17.6% to 21%.
"We will vigorously defend the right of Harvard, and other universities, to continue to seek the educational benefits that come from a class that is diverse on multiple dimensions," Iuliano said.
Iuliano also pointed to the Supreme Court's landmark 1978 decision in Regents of University of California v. Bakke, which upheld affirmative action and specifically cited Harvard's admissions plan as a "legally sound approach" to admissions.
Yet, Yukong Zhao, a 52-year-old Chinese-American author who helped organize the coalition, told The Wall Street Journal that there are longtime stereotypes of Asian applicants' being "not creative enough or risk-taking enough, but that's not true."
"There is a lot of discrimination, and it hurts not just Asian Americans, it hurts the whole country," he told the paper.
Meanwhile, other Asian-American groups and officials have released statements supporting affirmative action, including two members of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
"Neither of us believes that any racial or ethnic group should be subjected to quotas," commissioners Michael Yaki and Karen Narasaki said. "Nor do we believe that test scores alone entitle anyone to admission at Harvard. Students are more than their test scores and grades."
Contributing: The Associated Press
Democracy is not a spectator sport.
[1] My father (a physician) and I paid a courtesy call at the Nursing home in Miami, Florida. We were greeted by Judy’s grandparents. Dad noticed that Judy’s grandmother’s arm was hanging limp. He found she had been almost a week in the facility, examined according to the charts daily by a doctor and several registered nurses and no one noticed that she had an untreated broken arm. He called the police, supervised the arm being set and raised holy hell. As Judy’s dad was also a physician they got immediate action. The nursing home changed its name, its ostentatious appearance and *****. The operator today continues to operate dozens of homes and runs a full page ad in the Jewish newspaper picturing he and his wife.
Ken Ditkowsky
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