George,

Watching the antics of the Tea Party gang, I am afraid I must take issue with the position on affirmative action annunciated by Senator Webb...It is no secret that much of the Tea Party movement centers on the race of our president, and, race in general Many of their "leaders" make race a centerpiece of their movement. When one of their speakers, Tom Tancredo suggested that "civics literacy tests" should once again be required. (At the national Tea Party Convention in 2010, Tancredo suggested that a "civics literacy test," as a requirement for voting, might have prevented Barack Obama from being elected President). He received a standing ovation!

Affirmative Action gave the United States of America its first non-white president, much to the chagrin of those who see this as weakness, anything but a strength.

There are those in our society that would not hesitate to let the philosophy of Jim Crow once again be the dominant societal position, even expanding it, Arizona style, to include virtually anyone with dark skin.

How is it possible that Senator Webb might not see the statistics of inequality? For example, African Americans and Hispanic Americans exceeding the national unemployment rate by several percentage points, and, Senator Webb who has taken up the issue of the nightmare of our prison population might also be aware of the huge disparity in sentencing for minorities versus whites, for identical crimes. He might also take a look at disparities in education, health care, housing and opportunities in the workplace among much else in matters of race and inequality.

Native Americans have the highest unemployment rates, highest infant mortality rates, lowest life expectancy rates, highest suicide rates, highest dropout rates of any group in American society..They also have not had much in the way of "affirmative action" serving their sad state.

Senator Webb's likening the fact that affirmative action's time has come and gone, reminds me of those who say the same thing about labor unions--the outcome of the analogy has and will be a reversion to the tactics of old!

It is not a perfect solution and possibly needs fine tuning, but nothing in my lifetime has done more to enhance the promise that "all men are created equal".

Harry Tenney (Electronic mail, July 27, 2010)