Supreme Court backs New Haven Firefighters

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

The racialized comparison doesn't work as well when the pool of test takers are all immigrants and/or racial and ethnic minorities.

I think that people need to remember the implications of assuming "oh...the minorities just didn't prepare well enough" whenever there's a disparity in outcome. Probability statistics aside, it is not uncommon for organizations concerned with equal opportunity to look at the distribution of test results.

ehh, I guess....The test I took is a general, national test. It just so happened that the students in my class were either immigrants or racial minorities. The Med Tech school down the street has mostly White students taking the same exact test. I see your point here, but I really don't agree.

I think in the era of the Obamas (Barack and Michelle) it may become harder to argue for a racial difference.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

I think in the era of the Obamas (Barack and Michelle) it may become harder to argue for a racial difference.

Absolutely nothing's changed. LOL.

White people, in general, essentially voted for Obama based on a cost and benefit analysis and because they decided to choose gender over race.

Stop listening to disillusioned people who think social phenomena are a matter of 1+1=2. LOL.

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

White people, in general, essentially voted for Obama based on a cost and benefit analysis and because they decided to choose gender over race.

Granted, you put the "in general" caveat in there, but I think this is an unfounded generalization. I'll agree that some white people (and probably some black people, too) voted for Obama based on a cost v. benefit analysis. But to accuse white people of choosing gender over race is as offensive as me accusing black people of choosing race over gender. There isn't always a race- or gender-related motivation.

/end rant

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

...accusing black people of choosing race over gender

Obama is both Black and a man.

A more proper generalization would be that Blacks, in general, voted for Obama based on both a cost and benefits analysis and based on race (which intersected with gender for him).

I agree. Thanks.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Absolutely nothing's changed. LOL.

I agree.

White people, in general, essentially voted for Obama based on a cost and benefit analysis and because they decided to choose gender over race.

Stop listening to disillusioned people who think social phenomena are a matter of 1+1=2. LOL.

True, but I think "people" are going to point to the Obamas and say, "See, they made it". Is it right? No. Is it fair? No.

The issue that I have with this particular case is that how did it *happen* that the Black firemen did not do as well as the Whites / Hispanic? Because given an equal playing field, i.e., all firemen had access to the study guide, they were all aware of the nature of the exam, they were all given the same exam under the same conditions, then where is the discrepancy that caused the outcome with the exam itself?

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

True, but I think "people" are going to point to the Obamas and say, "See, they made it". Is it right? No. Is it fair? No.

We don't really care what confused people will say, do we?

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

The issue that I have with this particular case is that how did it *happen* that the Black firemen did not do as well as the Whites / Hispanic? Because given an equal playing field, i.e., all firemen had access to the study guide, they were all aware of the nature of the exam, they were all given the same exam under the same conditions, then where is the discrepancy that caused the outcome with the exam itself?

We wouldn't know all of this.

The court ruled that they can't throw out the results becase of a fear of a lawsuit. I definitely agree.