Friday, April 4, 2014

Democrats Discriminate Against Democrat Lieu

LA Times reporter Jean Merl reported on the rescinded endorsements of six state senators following State Senator Ted Lieu's move to shelve efforts to reintroduce state-sponsored discrimination into
Democrats Are Discriminating Against Lieu
Because He Won't Support Discrimination
post-secondary education.

California voters in 1996 supported the end of state-sponsored discrimination in the public workforce, not just in higher education, but in all public agencies regarding employment, access, and acceptance.

One state senator wanted to amend the constitutional amendment with SCA5, which would have removed the restrictions.

Because Lieu responded to pressures from other immigrant groups, including Asian-Americans, plus demands from gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly, six state legislators have rescinded their support for Ted Lieu's bid to replace Congressman Henry Waxman.

The six legislators (senators Ricardo Lara of Bell Gardens, Norma Torres of Pomona and Holly Mitchell of Los Angeles;  Assembly members Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego, Anthony Rendon of Lakewood and Jose Medina of Riverside) expressed the following:

"As lifelong Democrats, we support the core democratic values of inclusion and diversity and we expect the candidates we support will share these values. Our constituents depend on us to take even the most divisive issues and use our leadership to help bring people together and guide the path toward progress.

"At this point, we cannot in good conscience endorse a candidate who does not share that perspective."

Merl points out that this letter does not indict Lieu directly for blocking Sacramento's efforts to reintroduce discrimination, but the fact that six lawmakers would pull their support for Lieu so soon after the end of SCA5 should raise more than eyebrows.

Conservatives should take heart. The division among different ethnic groups on "affirmative action"  may draw groups like Asian-Americans away from the Democratic Party to the GOP, the party which supports family values, business sense, a work ethic, and a need to strengthen communal ties -- but not on through the government.

The Democratic Party supports tolerance and diversity in skin color, maybe, but not diversity of thought or ability, or freedom to succeed and fail, for which the Republican Party will well-known (perhaps too well-known through the divisive "mainstream media").

Inclusion should not exclude talent or academic excellence. Inclusion does not preclude the power of culture, bearing, and upbringing in the lives of youth. Chinese-Americans in particular, such as senator Lieu, and Asian-Americans in general have a stronger attachment to values such as family and education, and the children who excel in these cultures should not be punished for their excellence with fewer opportunities to enroll in post-secondary education.

Lieu did the right thing blocking the reintroduction of state-sponsored discrimination, and it is a disappointing shame that his fellow Democrats are hypocritically criticizing him for not supporting discrimination.




Ted Lieu Voted Against Discrimination

In 1996, with the help of Ward Connerly, the state of California voters approved proposition 209, which ended "affirmative action", which in reality was negative discrimination, or state-sponsored racism.

This past year, Fast-forward. State Senator Edward Hernandez introduced SCA-5, an amendment which would have removed the language in the initiative relating to post-secondary education . Senator Hernandez and the senate Democrats endorsed state-sponsored discrimination by passing the bill in January.

State Senator Ted Lieu was one of the state senators, however, who helped shelve the legislation.

The Democratic Party is splitting apart on state-sponsored discrimination, even though the majority of voters approved legislation which would prevent California's public institution from taking into account race, ethnicity, and gender when awarding acceptance to universities or public sector jobs.

Senator Ted Lieu responded to public pressure, including vocal opposition from the Asian-American community as well as gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly and other immigrant groups in the state of California.

We need state senators to reject all forms of government sponsored discrimination, especially in connection with education and employment in the state of California.

Let us hope that Senator Lieu will move for ending other types of discrimination, like the favoritism which permits two indicted and one convicted state senators to retain their salaries even though the state senate has suspended them.


Lieu Votes
Against SCA5 Discrimination