Legalisms

Richard Thompson Ford thinks that Sonia Sotomayor was courageous in turning away the New Haven Firefighters' appeal of a civil rights ruling: http://www.slate.com/id/2219062/. Frank Ricci and other firefighters scored higher on a competitive written exam but were passed over in favor of minority candidates in order to promote a more "fair" result. Thompson and those that defend affirmative action think that the country isn't beyond its racist past and policies under Title Whatever and others used to justify such actions need to remain in place. I always find it interesting to read their arguments--they are full of some of the most gerrymandering reasoning you'll find in our enlightened society. Plato and his buddies would have a blast reading the stuff and would no doubt laugh their asses off at what passes for big thinking these days. There is no question that minorities were the victims of some heinous treatment in our country, but it ain't going on now, and it's time to cut the bullshit and put an end to this stuff. It doesn't make a right and it does no favors to what our country should stand for. Making a decision based on the color of someone's skin is wrong, or that is what I thought. If that is not correct, then those favoring affirmative action need to have the intellectual honesty to quit their mumbling and speak clearly.

I'm moving my mom into an independent living facility and have been charged with the horrible task of sifting through mounds of old bank statements, etc. in attempting to clean out her house. Last night, I came across my old man's result from his civil service exam for promotion to assistant chief of the Houston Fire Department. I remember him studying for the exam: a high school dropout (he went off to the Big War to fight the Japanese) who spent hours and hours sitting under a tree in our backyard, pouring over burn temps and characteristics for various materials among other things--a lot of it was complex stuff. Out of respect, neither me or my buddies would play out there or even make noise because my old man was trying to get a promotion. So, I looked at the result--he scored a 96.4 during a four hour written exam and became assistant chief, the reward for his efforts. Makes you wonder what would happen to old Dan in this new age.

I've thrown out a lot of stuff but that faded piece of paper on HFD stationary is one I'll keep.