# Civil Rights: A Learned Man Once Said... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 4, 2001, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-rights-a-learned-man-once-said/53129 "2001-02-04T21:54:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sterra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sterra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterra)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-rights-a-learned-man-once-said/53129/21 "2001-02-06T00:22:18Z")
Well the quote in the OP is true(as long as you assume racial instincts and attributes exist that is) Legislation does not have the power to eliminate either of those things and would have only accentuated the diffrences(again of course assuming they exist) So the idea is quite valid as long as the facts back up “racial instincts” and “attributes”. Which of course they don’t. Myself I just think that there is no need to use racism for affirmative action. It would be much better to base it on poverty. Blacks or whites on a whole do not deserve any help. It could only be tailored to specific people not races. Because of course “fixing” the problem will never happen. It will go from 1 to 0 to -1(or maybe it will be like C++ and go to -6490238:D) ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-rights-a-learned-man-once-said/53129/22 "2001-02-06T00:35:47Z")
Thanks for the links, Spanky. I have a musical album entitled Octoroon by someone who is herself of one-eighth black ancestry; because of that, I mistakenly assumed that the word was merely descriptive rather than derogatory. I apologize to whomever I may have offended. (I will note, however, that the [American Heritage Dictionary](http://www.bartleby.com/61/87/O0028700.html) treats “octoroon” as a legitimate word, as does [Merriam-Webster](http://www.m-w.com) and, apparently, [Wynton Marsalis](http://www.sonyclassical.com/music/60979/). I’ll also point out that your first link describes “mulatto” as being another offensive term, a characterization which is, at least, [in](http://nav.webring.yahoo.com/hub?index&ring=mixie) [dispute](http://www.radcliffe.edu/quarterly/199703/page33a.html).) Here’s a hint, too: I wasn’t referring to the “spectacularly disingenuous” aspects of Jim Crow. I was referring to the spectacularly disingenuous aspects of Justice Brown’s reasoning in _Plessy_. And I must say I’m shocked–shocked!–that you would misapprehend one of my posts. What _is_ the world coming to? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-rights-a-learned-man-once-said/53129/23 "2001-02-06T00:55:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gadarene \* > **Here’s a hint, too: I wasn’t referring to the “spectacularly disingenuous” aspects of Jim Crow. I was referring to the spectacularly disingenuous aspects of Justice Brown’s reasoning in _Plessy_** As was I. The Plessy decision (affirming the mythology of “separate but equal”) and “Jim Crow” are not synonymous. The Plessy case was undoubtedly a major factor in the proliferation of legal obstacles to black equality. However, “Jim Crow” laws enforced an entire system of segregation and racist practices, including schemes to deny blacks the vote (poll taxes, literacy tests etc.). ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-rights-a-learned-man-once-said/53129/24 "2001-02-06T07:07:06Z")
What in the _world_ is your point? Let me try that again: I wasn’t referring to the spectacularly disingenuous aspects of “separate but equal” legislation; I was referring to the spectacularly disingenuous aspects of **Justice Brown’s reasoning in _Plessy_.** See the distinction? ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-rights-a-learned-man-once-said/53129/25 "2001-02-06T15:46:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gadarene \* > \*\* > Perhaps “ironic” isn’t the right term. What about spectacularly disingenuous? \*\* Right on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-rights-a-learned-man-once-said/53129.md?page=1)