Letter to Editor

The article "Diversity's False Solace", written by Walter Benn Michaels focuses on racial diversity, how it affects students of all colors and backgrounds, and how it is used to avert the public to social and economic inequality. Michaels refers to U.I.C's great reputation concerning this matter. U.I.C is, "ranked among the top 10 universities in the country for the diversity of the student body." This does not necessarily include diversity in class. While Michaels believes that there is value in ethnic and racial diversity, and also that affirmative action is needed, he also says that it is used to make universities seem like they are being fair to all and that they are allowing all students to be accepted if they try hard enough. Sadly Michaels says that this is not the case, as class diversity at universities is almost non-existent. Michaels says that while people of different races are accepted because of affirmative action, others are being turned down because of not even being able to apply because of the influx of those who did become accepted because of affirmative action, or because of financial problems. He goes on to conclude that because so many people and universities focus on racial inequality and racism, they think that these are the only problems that we need to solve. Diversity is "a rich people's solution." This means that as long as people focus on race, class will not be addressed. I agree with Michaels in that he is correct in asserting that racial diversity is more focused on at universities than class diversity. The rich who are not always necessarily as smart as the poor will get in to a university because of their wealth. Like Michaels says, "The fact that it doesn't help to be white to get into Harvard replaces the much more fundamental fact that it does help to be rich and it's virtually essential not to be poor." I think that it is wrong that people who cannot pay are the ones who cannot go, when there are rich people, and those who are accepted because of affirmative action, who are not even intellectually qualified. However, "as long as the left (liberals) continues to worry about diversity, the right (conservatives) won't have to worry about inequality."