Are special rights for Arab-Americans necessary? (OneNewsNow.com)

Are special rights for Arab-Americans necessary? (OneNewsNow.com)

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Are special rights for Arab-Americans necessary?

Chris Woodward - OneNewsNow - 6/6/2012 3:35:00 AM

The Department of Commerce is considering special rights for Arab-Americans. But one advocate for individual freedoms and rights points out that the special rights sought in this case are not guaranteed by the Constitution.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) says discrimination and prejudices in American society have resulted in Arab-Americans being unable to compete in the post-9/11 business world. So the organization wants the Commerce Department to make their demographic eligible for the Minority Business Development Agency, saying it would help Arab-Americans gain access to capital and business transactions.
When it comes to the Commerce Department's consideration, Timothy Lee, vice president of legal and public affairs at the Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF), calls it "laughable."
"I think we've got bigger things to worry about," he decides. "But more broadly, I think the important thing to consider here is national origin discrimination, racial discrimination and religious discrimination is already illegal in the U.S. -- certainly in the employment context, but also a variety of other contexts."
When there is discrimination of the type alleged here, Lee says that can be redressed through courts "when it actually happens."
"It sounds like they're just broadly alleging this sort of thing," he suggests. "And looking back to 9/11, you recall that people expected there to be all sorts of discrimination and backlash against Arab-Americans, and we really didn't see that."
The CFIF spokesman notes that there are obviously some exceptions, but by and large, today's society is extremely tolerant. He also questions what the Commerce Department will do in the next half century, as the Census Department has stated that whites will no longer be a majority in the United States by the year 2040.

"At that point, every racial group and ethnic group in America will be a minority. What will the Commerce Department do then? Just give everybody this sort of special treatment? It's a racial-spoil system and a terrible, terrible idea, and we should be getting past this sort of thing at this point," Lee concludes.