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February 09, 2003

Military Defends Use of Affirmative Action

(EXCERPT) By Natalie J. Mikhail, News Writer February 07, 2003

As the fairness of affirmative action in higher education becomes an
issue for the Bush administration, the U.S. Armed Services Academies
are defending the use of race in their admission policies to maintain
both integrated student bodies and officer corps.

The issue gained attention after President Bush criticized the
University of Michigan's policies that preference some applicants
because of their race instead of "any academic achievement or life
experience."

Last month the Bush administration filed a brief in the Michigan case
with the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing the preference minority students
receive in the admissions process violates the constitutional
guarantee of equal protection under the law.

University of Wisconsin political science lecturer Martin Sweet said
Bush might have legitimate concerns.

"Affirmative action splits a lot of people," Sweet said. "Bush may
actually believe affirmative action is wrong."

The Bush administration hopes to achieve diversity in higher education
in a "race-neutral" way. The system would require schools to admit a
specific percentage of students from every high school in a given
state, but this standard would not apply to national institutions like
the academies.

Sweet said this solution is not balanced, because every high school's
diversity is different.

While the military academies do require all of their applicants to
meet standard qualifications, race plays a part in who is finally
accepted.

Maj. Kent Cassella, chief of public information at the United States
Military Academy at West Point, said race is important because
officers need to be a reflection of so...

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Posted by mbowen at February 9, 2003 07:58 AM

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