Michigan Civil Rights Initiative: It's Not All About Affirmative Action

Should Michigan universities serve salad in their cafeteria? Should they make water polo a varsity sport? Since these decisions don't affect many of us, we hire university administrators to make these decisions. We trust these administrators to manage our universities, and we fire them if they do a poor job.

But based on recent trends, Michigan voters might one day decide these issues for universities. In the meantime, however, Michigan will stick to deciding if universities can make their own admissions decisions.

This November, the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI) will appear on the ballot. Voters will decide if Michigan's public universities will be banned from granting "preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin."

Because of MCRI's wording, pundits will present MCRI as an affirmative action issue. Affirmative action supporters will be urged to oppose MCRI to protect affirmative action, while those who dislike affirmative action will be urged to support MCRI to end affirmative action.

This is a mistake. The MCRI debate should not center on affirmative action. Instead, voters should view MCRI as a debate on controlling universities. I have yet to form an opinion on affirmative action, but I will oppose affirmative action based on the old conservative standby: The government should stay out.

We must ask, who is most qualified to run a university? Logically, the people who run universities are most qualified. If not, then we should replace them.

However, if MCRI passes, then voters will be telling universities how to do their jobs. Is this something we want to do? At what point do we stop micromanaging universities and let them do their job? After mandating admissions decision, should we move on to university cafeteria menus? Do we have no faith in our universities' ability to provide a quality education?

The government should not tell universities how to do their jobs. Michigan's public universities are among the best in the country. Our universities know how to admit qualified students and how to provide a quality education. Let's let our fabulous universities continue their great work, and let's not force them to use specific admissions policies, cafeteria menus, or sports teams.

Government, stay out of this one! Vote no on the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative.