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The Left's Reaction to the End of Affirmative Action Was Predictable, But the Worst Is Yet to Come

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  Jul 04, 2023
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Last week was a disaster for progressives as the Supreme Court handed down a series of decisions that told them rightfully that some of their agenda action items were unlawful under the Constitution. The chief offender was Biden's monarchical plan to lower student debt without congressional approval. 

There were some religious liberty victories as well, some controversial regarding website designers and LGBT rights and others mundane, like ensuring US Postal Workers who wish to observe the Sabbath are permitted to do so. Yet, affirmative action being part of the college admission process was struck down, leading to the predictable reaction from liberal America, but the worst is yet to come. 

It's one where I'll advise conservatives to stay on the sidelines and watch for a simple reason: it's about to get incredibly racial, and there is nothing we can do. That's not hyperbole. The Black and Asian communities are about to duke it out like it was during the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, and it's best to let this ulcer within the left drain and scab over on its own. These two camps will do plenty to damage each other. The goal of affirmative action being tossed into the trash bin has been accomplished at the higher education level. Let the progressives spill their own blood. We can watch from our side of the river. 

The first reactions were expected, with vitriol being spewed at Justice Clarence Thomas and the Supreme Court proper. Then, there was the Twilight Zone period, where some unhinged commenters felt this was the start of our march toward pre-antebellum America. At the same time, the dimwits on "The View" felt that this decision could mark the end of women on college campuses. 

But now, the fire is being directed at Asian Americans carrying water for white supremacy with this high court win. There's data showing how Asian American applicants are discriminated against regarding SAT scores and how affirmative action applicants get placed in environments where they cannot succeed. That doesn't mean the door is shut on policies that foster more diversity; there's nuance here. And one size does not fit all. Thomas Sowell has spoken at length about how these policies hurt these applicants. 

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Still, the ethos of the left is "submit or die." If you support this ruling, you're a Klansman; it doesn't matter if you're non-white. Liberals don't care about differing opinions or nuance – everything is a cause of panic, and that immaturity has become more visible post-Obama. They cannot work within the confines of the Constitution, which is why progressives are trying to shred our Founding documents. The reactions from Jemele Hill and ex-CNN host Soledad O'Brien capture the mood of the left when it comes to Asian families celebrating meritocracy returning to the college admission process. 

The media knows Black and Asian communities at each other throats over college is a bad look, which is why over the past few days, prominent lefty outlets have been working overtime trying to cast this fake narrative that Asian Americans actually support affirmative action policies, making sure what few Asian progressives they have on staff have their name in the byline. We all know this media pivot is driven by rich, college-educated whites whose worldview got a rude awakening this week. Here's a summary of what the liberal media is trying to sell: "Asian Americans support affirmative action, but three-fourths don't think race or ethnicity should play a role in college admissions." Liberal outlets must think little of their audience if they think that would pass any logic test. We all know what the left means by affirmative action. Studies showing "mixed" reactions will be touted as well, and the media will dig into the minutiae regarding whether members of the Asian community have even heard of the phrase "affirmative action." It's an obscurantist exercise because even with Pew, there's only one relevant finding in its study that's buried under respondents' party affiliation and other gobbledygook to make more of something than what this is [emphasis mine]: 

The concept of affirmative action is relatively popular among those familiar with the phrase. But when it comes to college admissions, opinions differ about which factors should be considered when deciding which students to admit to colleges and universities. 

Asked about a list of factors that colleges should consider, only 21% of Asian adults say colleges should consider race and ethnicity when deciding which students to accept. By contrast, Asian adults broadly say high school grades (87%), community service (71%) and standardized test scores (71%) should be factors considered in college admissions. 

Lower shares say athletic ability (33%), family income (26%) and gender (17%) should be considered. Few Asian adults (10%) say schools should consider family connections or “legacies” in admissions. 

Overall, majorities of Asian adults across gender, age, education and origin groups say race or ethnicity should not factor into college admissions. Similar shares of Indian (77%), Chinese (76%), Filipino (76%), Vietnamese (76%), Korean (72%) and Japanese (70%) American adults express this view. 

There is no debate. Asian Americans don't think race should factor in this process, and if the left wants to double down on the 21 percent who think otherwise, it's a waste of time, ink, and political capital. It's over. Done. As for other non-white communities who think otherwise, nothing is triter or unsurprising than smearing these folks as white supremacists. It's the default reaction to anything the left doesn't like in all its puerile glory. If that's all you got, and it is, then sit and steam because I can tell you what won't persuade minds: calling a non-white an imperial wizard of the KKK for opposing a shoddy admission protocol.