Ross: Race recognition and this Lynnwood business
Sep 17, 2018, 6:07 AM
In America, all of us are officially created equal. But since we are not all treated equally, there are laws to determine which Americans are at an unfair disadvantage – so we can give their businesses a boost with cheaper loans and government contracts.
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But since defining “disadvantage” can be complicated, the law provides a shortcut – based on race.
So if you are: Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian-Pacific you are automatically presumed to be disadvantaged. Unless it turns out you have a substantial stash of money.
Ralph Taylor lives and works in Lynnwood Wash. He looks like a white guy, but he decided to double-check his race. He sent his DNA to a testing service. And the results revealed that while he is 90 percent European. His other 10 percent is part Native American and part Black.
So, he applied to have his insurance business certified as disadvantaged, since it is co-owned by his non-white 10 percent. The state said OK, but the feds decided, DNA or not, he looked like a white guy, and said no. Mr Taylor, of course, is suing.
This tells me we’re going to need an objective definition of race.
You thought computerized face recognition was creepy. Wait til we get computerized race recognition.
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