“I don’t believe in quotas. America was founded on a philosophy of individual rights, not group rights.”

Quotas lower the standard of excellence, promote mediocre performances, and is prejudicial against certain high achievers.

Sounds good but is simplistic and maybe untrue. Englishmen envisoned vast factory farms plantations and imported whole groups to work them giving no regard to individualism. Irish and Chineese labor was brought in to build canals and railroads. Choosing and advancing "ones own" (family, relatives or tribe) is as old as the earth. The relatively new idea of the human family is hard to swallow sometimes and quotas is a lousy way to right the "wrongs" of the old way of thinking but do we know of a better way or do we want a better way.

PS Mr. Thomas got on the bench as a "quota" himself. If he were not a black he would never have been appointed. I don't believe he was that good of a lawyer or politician.

As to Waffler, isn't it interesting how liberals always play the race card. How in the world ,Waff, would you know "how good of a lawyer" Judge Thomas was. Your comment sounds a bit racist to me, and isn't it funny that Obama keeps talking about how the evil Republicans will play the race card and he is the only one talking about it.

Group rights is an oxymoron. If rights do not pertain to each individual, they simply aren't rights at all. And you don't have to be a good lawyer to get on the Supreme Court...just loyal to the DC Cult.

Yea, From the man that climbed the ladder and then pulled the ladder away so that no one else could use it. And yes, the US was founded on a philosophy of individual rights but a philosophy is Only that when it is not acted on. Ask the Blacks, Indians, Chinese and many others. Why do the losers in the GOP always talk the talk but never walk the walk when it comes to the Bill Of Rights? Is it too much Rush or just the fact that there is no money in it for them?

Wow J Carlton, for a Canadian you've got Lawyers and the Supreme Court nailed down pat. Very good observation. A point about reparations must be made though. First off blacks, or African Americans have never been given the opportunities that everyone, and I do mean everyone, eventually received. How do we enact justice for those who were here, fought in our wars, helped build our country, and have been good citizens. I don't mean recent arrivals. I mean those that contributed so much and did not receive compensation. I really don't have the answer, so my question is rhetorical, intended to thought provoking. At least, however quotas was an attempt to right a gross wrong.

Explain to me by what authority anyone can tell me who I may hire to work for me? Those of you with 'employee personalities' often forget that someone created these 'jobs' and is paying for them to be performed. We are all commodities in the workplace. We must compete with each other for our talents, and those hiring us have the right to decide if they prefer quality, quantity, or any combination of the above. Without business owners and entrepreneurs there would be no jobs other than to work for the government which produces nothing and has no need to concern itself with economy. The government has the right and obligation to make its own rules fair and equitable, but they have no right to tell company owners who they must hire or fire. Socialists will find any excuse to violate the rights of business owners -- they make no distinction between private and public property. Let the workers decide which job to take, strike if necessary for better terms, or go find a better employer. Let customers decide which company to buy their goods from -- boycott those enterprises with policies you don't support. Who would want to work for a company that was forced to hire them? It is a misnomer to think that blacks and other 'minorities' (the individual is the smallest minority) can't 'make it' without government interference. There are too many famous black Americans to mention that made their indelible mark without the aid of government. It is just more of the same -- fascism slowly creeping in to take over all business, all property, all choice -- governed by an 'elected' elite (like Hitler and other democratically elected despots.) If the neighbors cannot tell you who to hire and where to work, the government can't either -- the government cannot lawfully acquire power that it hasn't been granted. I do believe quota laws for the private sector are unconstitutional. However, any organization on the federal dole would be required to abide by the hiring rules of the government which would I think include quotas of all kinds.

You are generally right Carlton about lawyerly qualifications and the Supreme Court. Law and our rights should not be open to politics but to legal reasoning. Jim K you are naive if you have never heard of "the Black bench" on the Supreme Court. I guess it began with good ole Thurgood and continued with Thomas. There has been much in the lit about the court pertaining to this issue. As far as my basic argument have you ever heard of the Sunni/Shiite squabble or the Hutu/Tutsi squabble. Peoples living in larger communities beyond their local village must find ways to compromise their tribal, state, and local loyalties by accepting some rudiment of "quota". In the Veepstakes issues such as these will be considered. I don't thinking I am being a liberal Jim K. just a realist.

Do not individuals make up groups? Last I knew,they did.

In the book, Private Yankee Doodle, which is the only account recorded by a non officer in the American Army during the American Revolution, he tells the account of the victory at Saratoga. The British were required to put down their arms and walk through a phalanx of American troops. One young man wrote home to his family in England and gave his description of the event. He said that "we will never defeat these people, as I saw a determination in their eyes that is never seen in the mercenary armies of Europe. He said that these Americans are tall as a rule rather than the exception. They are wiry and strong in appearance but even stronger in reality. He said some were white, and some were black, the rest were various shades in between. WE were told that we were sent to put down rebellious Englishmen. These are not Englishmen, this is a whole new race of man". My friends, they were with us from the very beginning. I am a Viet Nam U.S.M.C. Vet. I was given a good job because of my service to my country when I needed it. Lets just be fair, and just, to those great people that have given so much to the American society. We are who we are today because of all of the contributions made by everyone, of all races, but blacks have been with us, hand in hand, and side by side from the very inception of America. PS this was not an Oddity. The same was said about Francis Marion's men (Swamp fox) Light Horse Harry Lee's men (R.E Lee's) father, and Samuel Pickens men. WE did a lot of mixing in early America. This showed that we loved each other. We need to love each other again. Peace Profound

We have quotas because of the racist business owners and managers who make more out of the color of skin rather then a person's intelligence. As long as there are racists, there will be unfortunately quotas. But never the less a great but idealistic quote. true, but will not work... unfortunately.

Thanks Ken I really appreciated your "Private Yankee Doodle Dandy" insertion.

No one that can think can disagree with that quote.

Stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!