First, yes, skinny people and good looking people get treated differently than ugly or fat people. Life is what it is. However,
I have found that talent and ability eventually trumps looks.

I have a sister in law that is way overweight and certainly would not be good looking even if she were thin as a rail. However, once people meet her, they can’t help liking and respecting her. She is an invited speaker each year to national software conventions and people love her. Again, actions trump looks.

Yes not all Jews think as I . What I said, however, is that every jew that I met or know thought as I did. I do know that this doesn’t represent every Jew in the world.
Yes, stereotyping is dangerous. I can only speak from the data set of my experience.

Finally, I do believe that there is such a thing as “the good ole boy network.” People tend to associate with those that have similar views, beliefs etc. However, most small business people that I have met, and I have met hundreds of thousands in my lectures, usually try to get the best people working for them. Small business does focus on profit and can’t afford to talk lessor talent due to discimination. With that said, I know that discrimination exists even among small business people, but it is, in my opinion, a lessor problem than found in bigger companies.

Finally, life is not fair. People are given varying looks, People are given varying upbringing and talents, and abilities etc. We simply have to make do with the best that we can and b e as flexible as possible in life.

It would be great if all people (others) like you were open minded enough to judge people by their deeds and actions and not outward appearance. But in the real world this is not the case. Do you think unattractive overweight people are treated differently from skinny attractive people? I suggest you research studies that have been done around this very subject. I am baffled that you would think that everyone thinks as you do. Who are you including in this “others”? Who are you leaving out?

I have some very close Jewish friends, and they certainly do not see the world as you do. So be careful about saying what Jewish people will or will not do. How can you speak for all Jewish people?

I am also wondering if you think that All African Americans want something for nothing, feels the world owes them something and are not willing to work hard to achieve their goals. And speaking of Ivys, since diversity is important to me and my family, I make it a point to check out the racial makeup of various colleges. I’ve noticed that many of the top schools such as the Ivy League and Stanford have the highest percentage of African Americans when compared to lesser quality schools.

Last but not least, I’m wondering if you think there is such a thing as “the good old boy network”. Does this not exist in both business and social institutions? Although I disagree with some of your comments, I sincerely appreciate your honest answers and the fact that you are taking the time to respond.

Response: Yes, and no. In my travels, I have found that most people have preconceptions. Moreover, like it or not, people tend to associate, respect and like others of similar looks and mindset UNTIL they get to know the other person.

Haven’t you ever met someone that you had formed some prior opinion of, yet, once you got to talk and know that person, you belief system changed about them, either positively or negatively? It certainly has occured to me many times.

If I like someone or if that person says something that impresses me, my whole reaction towards them changes regardless of any preconceived beliefs and certainly regardless of race, creed, or religion or gender. I truly believe that others think the same way as I.

Moreover, I never, ever said that I want my kids to attend a homogenious college. I just want a college that doesn’t discriminate based on racial profiling. In fact, I don’t want to see racial profiling in society at all, with perhaps the sole exception of airport screeners looking for mideast terrorists. LOL

As for discrimination, I am Jewish. You don’t think that we Jews haven’t face discrimination as long as African Americans or even longer in the world? Moreover, I can assure you of one thing: it hasn’t stopped for us. It just is more subtle than that of discrimination against African Americans. Yet, you will NEVER hear any Jew say, “Society or the world owes us because of all the horrible things that have occured to Jews in the past.”Jews simply want the world to remember what happened so that it doesn’t happen to anyone or any race again.

As with Asians, we try very hard in school, work, and in life to succeed. We never make excuses. At least I have never heard any from anyone that I have met or known.

Even Jews living in Germany aren’t asking for any Affirmative Action. They just want to be left alone in peace so that they can survive and thrive on their own.

As I said, I am race neutral regarding college admission. It doesn’t impact me either way. However, look at schools that tend to be more homogeneous;

Berkeley,which has the highest Asian population in the country is certainly a top notch school.

Brandeis, which has a large Jewish population is top notch.

Notre Dame, which is primarily Catholic, is considered top notch.

Howard University is considered top notch here in DC.

In fact, most of the ivys, despite their attempt at diversity, is made up mostly of rich, white folks. Even minority kids that I know at ivy schools tend to be more upper middle class. I don’t see the ivys suffering from a lack in quality.

Notice: Not one of these top schools have been hurt by a lack of diversity.

Maybe I am not being politically correct in todays world. I just believe that it is the nature of the person that should matter and not their race ever! If they have achieved success despite economic or family hardship then they should be given, in my opinion, a “leg up.” However, not because they are black, white, green or tuti-fruity, but because they are deserving.

No I do not think that African Americans are the only race that has been discriminated against and I never said so. When I say that race is one of many characteristics that should be considered, it is not just for African Americans, but other races as well, including Whites. Your race is part of who you are, and it often determines how others respond to you,good or bad. People in general are not comfortable discussing race. We often prefer to ignore the elephant in the room. Until we’re able to have frank and honest discussions about race, we will continue to pretend we live in a color blind society when in fact we do not.
It is easy to pretend that race does not or should not matter, or to simply discount it if you’ve never had to deal with race issues on a personal level on a regular basis. Being a particular race could mean being given special privileges, perks if you will. Or your race could prove to be a disadvantage but no one wants to talk about it.

I see diversity as a good thing. I’m sorry that you seem to feel that colleges that strive to increase diversity is shoving it down your throat. The wonderful thing about having so many different colleges to chose from is that students and parents who are fed up with diversity can chose a college that seeks to have a homogeneous student body. I think this is perfectly ok. You should chose a college where you best fit in. My daughter is in the process of applying to a variety of schools. Ultimately the school she choses will most definitely have a diverse student population because it is something she values and appreciates.

Again, I don’t see why skin color should be given any preference. If a kid comes from a successful, wealthy household, why should that kid be given any preference solely because of skin color. It makes no sense!

If, however, you were to argue that economic diversity is needed for colleges, I could buy into that. I certainly can see the need for a “leg up” for kids from households that are economically deprived REGARDLESS OF RACE, CREED, or RELIGION. I really don’t understand why economic circumstances aren’t much higher in the piority list among colleges other than knowing that it might require more scholarships.

Thanks for your timely response. Sandy I totally disagree with your position that it is ok to consider gender in college admissions but not race. Race, socioeconomics, religious affiliation, politics, gender, community involvement, character, etc all play an important role in providing balance to the college experience as well as enhancing it, and should be considered. To only focus on gender is being bias.

Promoting racial diversity should not be dismissed simply because some “studies” suggest that students of different races do not mix. Where as it is human nature to want to be with people you are familiar with or comfortable with, it has been my experience that people of different races will and do interact with each other when a common bond is established. This will not happen if they are not given an opportunity to interact either within the classroom or outside of it.

Ilive in a small town community that has excellent schools. My community is predominently white, and I am African American. I have two children who have gone through the school system. One has already graduated and the other is a Senior. Yes, in general even in high school, there is less mixing of the races. However the races do interact. Both my children have friends of different races, and they have developed an awareness and appreciation for people of other races, lifestyles, viewpoints, etc. I think it is unwise to only look at gender and test scores, and not consider other factors such race in promoting diversity.

A school could end up overlooking an applicant who could greatly impact the school and the community. A prime example of this Cupcake Brown. Cupcake Brown is a high profile San Francisco Attorney who recently wrote a biography titled “A Piece of Cake”. This is a must read. It is an inspiring story of how Cupcake Brown went from being a prostitute, drug addict and gang member to becoming a highly sought after attorney for one of the most prestigious law firms in the country. When she applied for law school, her test scores barely made the cut off to even be considered for any law school. Yet, Cupcake ended up graduating at the top of her class and was given the most prestigious award by her law school when she graduated. Most law schools turned Cupcake down, and only one accepted her. Had the school that accepted her only looked at her test scores, and not considered the “whole” person, she probably would have not been accepted.

One final thing, I value the fact that we are having this discussion. People of different races and backgrounds bring different viewpoints to this discussion. I doubt if this would happen if we all were of the same race and background.

Response: Ideally, merit based admission would occur when an applicant submits the same college application, essays and transcripts but has no indication as to race. They would solely note gender and social security number. Thus, there would be no picture, name, or racial information or even an interview. Thus, colleges can be as holistic as they wish with this information.

I do admit that there may be some exceptions to this. For example, if a student is an athlete trying to get in under an athletic scholarship, the coach of the applicable sport would have to see and interview the student.

Legacies would be a special case. I do understand the need for private schools to raise donations for schools. Having some legacy admits might be beneficial. Thus, there should be an option for a student to note whether they are a legacy or not, which would also result in disclosing their name.

Joseph noted that I am being hypocritical in valuing gender diversity over that of other diversity. I think not. Having a balance in gender does, in my opinion, greatly aid in the educational process since it has been shown that females learn differently than their male counterparts. In addition, students have been shown to be much happier and thus provide greater college retention if there is a gender- balanced campus. Likewise, schools that have very few makes or females tend to have unhappier students (Check out the RIT forums under http://www.studentsreview.com )

I can’t say the same for racial diversity. In fact, in mosst cases where racial diversity is highly encourage in admission ( such as in Syracuse University), the main complaint is that the races don’t mix. Kids tend to associate with others of like-kind races, which seems to defeat the purpose of racial diversity in college admission.

Beyond egalitarian ideals, diversity has value in the range of perspectives it fosters. In a global economy, understanding the values and perspectives of different cultures leads to novel approaches and solutions to problems. From a business perspective it is critical to the development of effective marketing strategies. Japanese automobile industry executives do not use the same marketing strategies and cars that they have in Japan to sell in the US. They rely on US based personnel and strategies. Succeeding globally requires diversity. Sandy should let go of the xenophobia, reconsider shunning the Latino kids and give careful thought to studying spanish.

Fesponse: No I don’t. I value a meritocracy.My kids had sufficient diversity of many types in high school. They don’t need it shoved down their throats forever.

Sam also notes,”–but to disregard diversity as a selection factor at all is, I think, DANGEROUSLY closed minded and does not reflect the reality of the world we live in, a world which has many different kinds of people in it”

Response: Sam, I am NOT saying that companies and governmnent shouldn’t hire all types of people or that there should be any discrimination. I just feel that hiring should be based on merit, and the same should be said of admission to colleges and graduate schools.To me, when a schools or company says they use a “Holistic Approach” to recruiting, this can easily be just an guise for outright discrimination. Frankly, I believe that a lot of discrimination does occur under this deception of “holistic approach.” What a great way for bigets to get exactly what they want or don’t want. Just claim,” we are recruiting based on a holistic approach.”

However, we can agree to disagree.

By the way, are you in college now? If so, where?