Don DeWitt Dissents

Affirmative Action (Abolish the Words)

Don DeWitt

The NY Times had a full page; thousands of words, on the topic of "affirmative action" without defining the term. The president had a national conference (loaded in favor of affirmative action) without an unambiguous definition of the phrase.

Much of our national debate, some of it rancorous, stems from the problem of semantics, as often is the case.

One person thinks of affirmative action as pointing out to minorities what opportunities exist, helping them to prepare, and perhaps even providing transportation.

Another individual sees affirmative action as decreeing that a certain percentage of jobs, school admissions, etc. must go to specific minorities, even though more qualified people may be hurt.

These two people cannot have a sensible debate as they are talking of two different things.

Trying to agree on a common definition is probably impossible. Discussing minority preparation, minority mandatory preferences, and discrimination makes more sense.

As things stand, many of us have a head full of mush when we think of affirmative action.

Manhasset Icon Inveighs

Marv Silver, erstwhile Park Drug impresario, wrote to augment on our recent statistical comparisons between the US and Europe. Marv quotes Lexis-Nexis (whatever that is).

He compares the US to the combined group of England, Italy, France and Germany.

The US has 10 times the capital of the others invested in new businesses. As of 1996 it has 20 times the number of new businesses. (Formed within one year?).

This makes Marvin optimistic for the future. At his age that may be determined cheerfulness.

Apology

"To be positioned as a prodigious accumulator of wealth (PAW), researcher T. J. Stanley and W. D. Danko have invented an analytical formula."

This is from a recent column and I can't believe I wrote it. It makes no sense. Stanley and Danko invented a formula to measure whether one is a PAW would have been vastly better.

Act in haste, repent in leisure.

AJ Zino Local License Plates

ANTINOTS (Pro - yeses?)

JSTBCAUS (an indefinite message)

CRAZYTOO (These license plate buyers?)

OVRTHILL (Maybe that's it)

RUKIND (Yes, but it is difficult)

Tell It Like It Is

After complaining about that misleading mail which informs each of us that he/she has won a million dollars, other ads came to mind.

The telephone stockbroker who says he gave you a wonderful tip two months ago.

The household alarm system company representative who tells you that you have been selected from all your neighbors for a free trial.

A very annoying item is the airline and credit card company (and there are several) which informs you that for every dollar you charge you get one (or 1 1/1) sky miles for free travel. "Sky miles" are not miles.

You need 20,000 or more to go anywhere and then you can't go 20,000 miles but get one trip.

All of this misleading garbage makes one view the world with cynicism.