THE OSCARS IN BLACK AND WHITE

Accusations are flying from all directions accusing the Academy Awards of being racially biased. It borders on the ridiculous to accuse Hollywood of any anti-black bias. The film industry is famous (and infamous) for being uber liberal in its politics. Think Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, George Clooney, Leonardo DeCaprio, ad nauseum. You couldn't spit out of you car window driving down Wilshire Boulevard without hitting a left leaning liberal.

The Academy honchos say they will implement steps to increase diversity in their committee over the next several years.Sounds like a step in the right direction, but think what that policy implies. The idea of greater diversity on the Academy Awards committee is meant to increase diversity of the nominees in the various award categories. But let's dig deeper into that premise. If increasing racial diversity among the voters results in greater racial diversity in nominees and winners, then that implies blacks will vote for blacks, whites will voter for whites, Hispanics will vote for Hispanics, etc.. Rather than eliminate racial bias in selecting nominees, the Academy plan tacitly admits that the preponderance of voting will be along racial lines. If the sole purpose of the awards is to  reward professional excellence, then what does it matter the racial makeup of the voters?

Racial quotas are the tools of despots and bigots. The Oscars should be racially and gender neutral, and the winners chosen on merit.To do otherwise would be the equivalent of choosing nominees by blindly pulling names out of a hat, talent and professional excellence be damned.