.Here is Mr.
Sailer's web entry in full:
We, the faculty and students of the UCLA School of Medicine, in the spirit of
understanding and unity, believe that a diverse student body is an integral part of our
medical education and our development as compassionate caregivers. We acknowledge the
history of diversity at our institution and understand the responsibilities we must
assume in becoming members of the School of Medicine.
Foremost is the fostering of an environment where ideas can be freely exchanged without
fear of judgment or persecution.
[Hmmmhmmmh ... It sounds like the one idea that can't be freely exchanged without fear
of judgment or persecution is the idea that a diverse student body is NOT an integral
part of your medical education. Also, what the heck is this "without fear of judgment"
doing in a medical school? If I stand up in class and answer that the hip bone is
connected to the funny bone, nobody is supposed to judge me?]
We accept the charge to learn from our peers about the variety of backgrounds we
represent, as well as embrace the opportunity to share our beliefs and values with one
another. We agree to maintain the highest degree of decorum and professionalism while
discussing our commonalities and differences. By adopting this philosophy towards our
diversity, we hope to ensure our development as culturally competent physicians who will
ably serve the variety of patients entrusted to our care.
Adopted May 1997 by the UCLA Medical Student Council
Adopted November 1997 by the UCLA School of Medicine Faculty Executive Committee
Why was this passed in 1997? Presumably to intimidate potential whistle-blowers who
might raise a stink about UCLA violating Proposition 209, which passed in November 1996.
Loyalty Oath to Affirmative Action required of applicants to UCLA Medical school! A
reader sent me the following that he had to sign to apply to UCLA Med:
The diversity statement sounds sinister, because it clearly has some hidden meaning of
which its writers were at least a bit ashamed. Taken literally, it is silly. I think
very few people really think that "a diverse student body is an integral part of our
medical education and our development as compassionate caregivers", unless "integral" is
a word empty of meaning (though--maybe it is?). A person can be a perfectly good doctor
even if his student body is not diverse. If that is not true, then we should not allow
foreigners to practice medicine here, probably, since my guess it that Mexican medical
schools have practically no students except Mexican ones, French medical schools are all
French,and so forth, and if this means that affirmative action is necessary for medical
education, American doctors over age 50 or so should also be barred from hospitals.
And what does this mean: "We acknowledge the history of diversity at our institution..."? How do you acknowledge a history? It looks like code language for something like "We recognize that in the past student were admitted on merit rather than race," or "We recognize that at one time there were hardly any women or black students at this medical school." But why is this worth mentioning?
And then we come to the sinister part: "... and understand the responsibilities we must assume in becoming members of the School of Medicine". I know I couldn't honestly say I understood them if I were a student. In this context, the statement clearly has a hidden meaning, as if there is a secret ceremony at which we all learn the special responsibilities of being a doctor, awful actions we take which must never never be revealed to outsiders. And there is a nuance of punishment for those who violate the oath-- a bit like the Mormon blood purge-- so that having signed on to this diversity statement, those who violate it cannot complain when they receive their just punishment.
As Mr. Sailer comments, all this weaseling around is probably because the medical school wants to violate state law, and wants to communicate this desire to outsiders without ending up punished for its crimes of discrimination.
[in full at 04.04.27a.htm]
To return to Eric Rasmusen's weblog, click http://php.indiana.edu/~erasmuse/w/0.rasmusen.htm.