By Jim Brown and Chad Groening
June 27, 2003

(AgapePress) - A strong opponent of racial preferences is praising Justice Clarence Thomas for his strong dissent in the Supreme Court's ruling on the University of Michigan Law School's affirmative action plan.

In his dissenting opinion, Justice Thomas wrote that the Constitution "does not tolerate institutional devotion to the status quo in admissions policies when such devotion ripens into racial discrimination." Ward Connerly, founder and chairman of the American Civil Rights Institute, says he has never been more proud of Thomas and his adherence to his convictions.

Ward Connerly

"The dissenting opinion that he wrote with regard to the law schools was absolutely brilliant," Connerly says. "It outlined for the country why preferences based on race are morally wrong, constitutionally wrong, pragmatically wrong -- and he laid forth, in a respectful manner, the argument for why the majority got it wrong. He left no equivocation in that regard."

Thomas also stated that he, like Frederick Douglass, believes that "blacks can achieve in every avenue of American life without the meddling of university administrators."

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who was appointed to the high court by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, was one of the six justices voting in the majority. Hers was considered a swing vote in the decision. Connerly says O'Connor's opinion was unfortunate.

"When she was appointed years ago, I was very optimistic that she would apply the law and be a solid vote, and she's turned out to be very, very squishy," he says. "This decision is evidence [of that]."

Jesse Lee Peterson, another conservative black leader, says the high court's decision demonstrates just how important it is to get the right kind of judges appointed to the federal judgeships. Peterson, with the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny, says the decision legalizes racism -- and that is why he believes it is important for the president to get some new blood in the federal court system.

"We need people who are going to rule by the constitution rather than going against it, and these judges that we have right now are simply not doing that," he says. "If the president doesn't stop what's going on in the filibustering of [his judicial nominees], we're in trouble."

Peterson says the judicial crisis has almost reached a state of emergency in this country.

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