Diversity war of words heats up at Texas A&M
Their irresponsible actions are unacceptable from anybody, especially high-ranking university administrators. The e-mails sent by Dr. Gates and Mr. Byrne only serve to strengthen our resolve to fight the good fight and spread the conservative message across Texas.
- David Rushing
It's episodes like this that make it evident that Conservatives, particularly young ones, take themselves WAY too seriously. What is it about Conservative Republicans that seems to preclude having anything resembling a sense of humor? Not to mention a sense of perspective?
There is, of course, nothing wrong with Conservatives, or anyone else, highlighting the issue of diversity. It's a hot-button issue on many campuses, and Texas A&M is certainly no exception. Having said that, though, the Young Conservatives of Texas seem to have decided to create a bonfire when a couple of matches might have accomplished the same thing. In indicting President Robert Gates and Athletic Director Billy Byrne, they seem to be accomplishing little but drawing attention to themselves. Then again, perhaps that was the whole point of this conflagration.
Gates said Tuesday night the students "are being a little overly sensitive."
He pointed out that, unlike SMU administrators' actions in September, he did not shut down an "Affirmative Action Bake Sale" held on the College Station campus on Nov. 19 that is at the heart of the dispute.
"I want the issue (of diversity) discussed in a respectful way," said Gates, who plans to hold an open forum this evening to unveil A&M's plans to incorporate race as an admissions factor in light of last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing racial preferences in admissions and scholarships.
Last week, Gates and Byrne sent e-mails and posted Web messages being interpreted as rebukes to the bake sale, in which YCT members sold cookies for $1 to Asians, 75 cents to whites, 25 cents to Hispanics and 10 cents to blacks. The sliding scale was designed to protest racial preferences and the hiring of a so-called "diversity czar" to bring more minorities to the 45,000-student campus, which is 85 percent white.
"The Texas A&M Bake Sale plays right into the hands of those who recruit against us, in both athletics and in the general student population," wrote Byrne, who has been pilloried in national conservative publications.
Matt Maddox, an A&M senior who chairs the campus YCT group, said the thinly veiled attempt to blame A&M's poor football season on conservative students is laughable.
"Byrne is implying that the best football players are minorities," said Maddox. "What is the difference between that and what Jimmy the Greek or Al Campanis said?"....
"The administration is trying to turn this issue to an athletics issue so they can win the support of alumni over issues of race," Maddox added.
Gates has frequently stated since his hiring in 2002 that he would make diversity a top priority.
At first glance, it appears that YCT is creating a controversy where none exists in an effort to draw attention to their own agenda. No reasonable person would suggest that Byrne is blaming A&M's poor football season on YCT, nor that Gates is attempting to advance his agenda on the backs of Conservative students. Then again, YCT has yet to demonstrate that it can be reasonable.
What is it that YCT is so afraid of? Conservatives have a stranglehold on the A&M campus as it is. Aggieland is one of the most Conservative places on the face of the planet. It's not as if YCT has anything to be worried about...unless, of course, it's concept of diversity that they have a problem with. No, I'm not suggesting that the underpinnings of YCT's agenda is racist, but they haven't exactly been demonstrating an open-arms policy, have they??
