Hurray Finally! A person that does not pass a test can simply re-take the test. Race should have nothing to do with it. If you are bucking for a promotion you better be able to do the job. When we hold a standard to pass a test we should stick to it! Giving credit for lower scores simply because of race should not be allowed!

As a white female taking a police exam, I know that even though I scored a 98, a minority female that scores a 45 will be hired over me. why? Simply because of race. How do I know? It happened to me not once, but three times. One local, one county and one state exam. Enough is enough already!

Diversity makes America strong. All color diversity. I am very pleased to see "white" legally recognized as a component of equal opportunity color. This court ruling corrects a wrong and sets a standard we can all live with.

SHAME ON YOU PEOPLE CALLING YOURSELF NEWS ANCHORS WAISTING AIRTIME AND DIVERTING MEDIA TO STUPID ISSUES SUCH AS MADOFF/ AND MYER AUTOPSY ETC... TO MORE IMPORTANT MATTERS THAT ARE ONGOING IN IRAN AND INVOLVES HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION AND PEOPLE DYING.
WHAT HAPPENED ...... MILLIONS OF PEOPLE INCLUDING ME HAVE TO GET UPDATES VIA TWITTER!!!!! THEN WHY ARE YOU THERE FOR? SHAME ON YOU

Obviously this law needs to be written in better language.If the highest court has such tough times deciding what it says how can the average citizen understand it.The judges are even torn about it as there is only a 1 vote difference.

That's stupidly funny! it took 3 hours to count all the votes all over the Iran at the night of election but the needed 5whole days to count just %10 of the votes?????? doesn't make sense!

I agree that race should not matter in hiring and promotions in today's work environment. However, there are still some out there on both sides of the spectrum that use race as a determining factor. If a person (male or female) scores higher on a test than a peer that person should be promoted. African-Americans and Whites have no excuses in playing the race card today. If a test is required for advancement then it is up to us to do better than our best. A congratulation to those White Firefighters who took and past the test, they deserve the promotion. The fact that some whites are using the same excuses, as a means of insuring advancement does make the system right nor wrong. No matter what African-Americans perceive, they are just as smart as their white counterparts. If you have worked in the public safety arena for some time you know what you are facing in terms of the politics and discriminatory practices in those jobs. It is important that you excel no matter what. While some will get easier positions, you (the African-American) will have to work hard to overcome even in ther 21st century. Racism still exist and discrimination is still prevalent. It is still a fact or we would not be discussing this today. Take it from an American who happens to be African-American.

It was a good ruling. The return to "blind" justice is what is so landmark in this case.

What i know of the case the applicants had more than enough time to study and prepare for this test. Anyone who was truely interested on advancing in their job (or any job for that matter) have to apply themselves seriously to achieve their end. The material was there to study for the test, those who wanted it the most succeeded. GIVE THEM THEIR DUE!

I agree with the Supreme Court's decision. I assume that most, if not all of the candidates, were raised in the same area and went to similar, if not the same schools. And I don't believe there was a language barrier for any of the candidates, unless I'm wrong on that score.

If all of the above is true, then each and every candidate had an equal opportunity throughout their lives to study and improve themselves. Therefore I do not see where there is illegal or unfair discrimination. The only discrimination appears to be that some studied and some did not while all had the same opportunity as the others.

It is good that a majority of the Supreme Court managed to retain a semblance of fairness in this case.
To allow any government entity to presume that a test must be biased, despite making an effort to ensure otherwise when creating the test, and to disqualify people who took the test simply because of their race, without any showing of actual bias, based solely on the suspicion of a possible lawsuit, would open the doors to encourage complete and total racial discrimination.
Separate is not equal, including for white and hispanic people taking civil service qualification tests.

reverse discrimination?
words like discrimination and racism do not need a modifier they stand alone. when a person in this country is excluded from something because of thier race or ethnicity we should all be outraged.

About time, no one person no matter of their skin color should be excluded or denied rights or opportunities based on color of their skin! This ought to be a wake up call for all those Sotomayor supporters, she is racist and not only is she racist but shes sexist as well! We DO NOT need a legislator on the bench and thats all she`ll be! The only way America will progress into the future, is if everythings on a level playing field! If all these minorities want to run over and push aside white people, all they will do is destroy this country! You cant pass judgement on the past, you must let it go or you`ll just be hurting your own kind!

As long as Affirmative Action is still enforced, the Supreme Court will continue to hear these type of cases. Affirmative Action has outlived its usefulness and white males have been paying the price for the past twenty years. It is time for the best qualified person to be promoted, to be hired regardless of color or sex or nationality.

I think the problem here is that people don't realize what the city of New Haven was trying to do. They were trying to create a test that was RACIALLY EQUITABLE. If anybody had bothered to look at the problems with the original test, then you would see that the city had the right decision.

Also, would it have been so troublesome to retake the a FAIR and EQUAL test? The city had an investigation into the test and they decided it was not fair. Is that so wrong?

So no. I don't think that the white firefighters were right. To me, this is a kick in the face. A group that is in the majority (white) now has extra protection. Having Obama as president doesn't end the struggles people like those black firefighters face. They were JUST AS SMART as their white counterparts. But why didn't that reflect on the so-called fair test? They knew just as much. But somehow, every single black person that took the test, who are just as smart, couldn't pass? Why don't you all see anything wrong with this situation?

Please people. Think about if your child took a (supposedly) standardized test that was biased to one ethnic group (not yours) versus another. Would you be happy that Supreme Court decided that your child's concerns don't matter?

And another question: Where is the team support and ethic from the white firefighters? They would rather take and become firefighters based on a biased test versus a fair one?

I think the Supreme court was right. I think the results of the test should have been honored and those fighters that did not pass the test should have been given another shot at it by using the newly design test. The guys and gal in the robe got it right this time.

This ruling is ridiculous. Affirmative action was created because the white majority have put in place unwritten rules deciding who gets ahead and doesn't. It has nothing to do with personal strength or competence. But most of you don't care because you get to enjoy the perks that come with your social status. I don't hear you guys going to bat for minorities and women when they are denied their just dues. I don't see whites questioning hiring and promoting practices in places where there are mostly whites working. Everyone is all for diversity until it inconviences you and your cushy lives. When you people get your heads out of the clouds or become a minority, then maybe you'll understand the REAL ways of the world.

I do not agree with the Supreme Court ruling. The country was built on the backs of people of African descent and some others of color because of hundreds of years of FREE labor. That has kept people of color behind "white" people forever. The playing field is not level and it does not seem as if it will ever be.

If anyone is in Metro Atl, they should take the time to visit the America I AM exhibit at the Civic Center. You can purchase $10 tickets at Wal-mart. You will have a greater understanding and appreciation for the contribution of people of African descent, and understand what has been stolen.

Great! Thank goodness the supreme court got it right this time. New Haven discriminated agaist the white firefighters. All of the firefighters had an equal chance. At my job some people take the exam seriously and start preparing months in advanceThe opportunity is there for everyone.

As a black person and a Firefighter for over 25 years, I can say that predjudice and discrimination exist and are still a problem today.
I would love for the black firefighters in Connecticut to be promoted alongside their white brothers and sisters. However, a promotional exam that is put together correctly should identify those most ready to advance based on the values, mission and operations of the department. Those giving the exam should believe in the validity of the exam and be ready to stand by the results.
Personally, this mess highlights what happens when well-meaning people don't put in the effort to ensure appropriateness on the front end.
For those who won their case I offer congratulations on a job well done (passing the exam with high scores), because that is what I would hope would happen if the situation were reversed.
Doing the right thing has to start somewhere. Obama supporters know that it's time for a change and that applies to all Americans starting now.

"Every honest man will suppose honest acts to flow from honest
principles!" - Thomas Jefferson

I took the fire fighters test for New Haven. Passed every stage of the testing. I ended up 7th on the list for hire out of over 1100 who took the test. Also I did not receive any residency or military points They hired 28 I was passed over 21 times, with no real explanation why. Looking back on the oral interview with the fire commission and the ODD questions I was asked, I concluded I was a product of age discrimination I was 45. I am happy to see the court got it RIGHT !

Race should not be a factor in promotions. The most qualified person/s should be the ones considered, not filling a race quota. If you are not qualified then you do not get the promotion or job.

The most qualified individual should be selected. Race should not be a factor.

I agree with the firefighters....they should be treated as individuals, not as a statistic. The best person for the job. Period. They days of affirmative action are antiquated.

I'm very glad those firefighters won. They deserve it. They qualified, they passed the test, they did everything the system asked of them but were unfairly treated just because of the colour of their skin. Just because the majority of them are white doesn't mean it wasn't discrimination. We really need to ask ourselves as a people, why is it ok to discriminate people who are white? Isn't that racism? Isn't that wrong?

Are white people held to a higher standard then other people? Are only white people racist?

Reverse-discrimination, I really hate that term. That says that discrimination was invented by white people and no one else is racist.

Please stop using that term. Travel the world a little or be exposed to other cultures and they all have their ugly sides and racism is everywhere.

First, I am appalled at the lack of the PROPER use of the English language here. The use of the term, 'Reverse Discrimination', when broken down by definition means 'the OPPOSITE (Reverse) of DISCRIMINATION! In other words, NO discrimination! Quit feeding the laziness of the the proper use of the words and say what is REALLY happening, it was an act of DISCRIMINATION, PERIOD! Discrimination is what it is, it doesn't flow one way just because of a persons skin color, it is what it is!

This just goes to show how intimidated everyone is including our judicial system when it comes to dealing with race issues, especially when it comes to African Americans, and they aren't even our largest minority.

This ruling was the right thing to do. I strongly feel that to leave these positions unfulfilled just because the minority applicants couldn't pass the test is ridiculous. Diversity is very important. But diversity without competency is not acceptable.

The Court made teh correct decision! Skin color should have no bearing on civil service tests. If it did we would have the best public servants OF A PARTICULAR RACE, that applied. NOT the best available. All such tests should be totally color/race blind.

When this scenario played out in Jacksonville Fl, It was discovered that the white firefighters were provided with the answers to the exam that was composed and administered by other white firefighters. I hope that was not the case in New Haven.

As a former fireman, its good to see that the most qualified people won their case efore the Supreme Court. The decision by the City of New Haven was racist and they deserve to have lost the case. I don't care if the firefighter who rescues me from a burning building is black, or the cop who protects me is yellow, or the Paramedic who saves my life is red, as long as they are the most qualified person to do so!

If you can't pass the test, you can't do the job! Study, learn, do better! Don't cry your skin color is why you failed; it isn't! You failed because you aren't good enough.

I think what is fair for one, it should be fair for all. Glad to hear the surpeme court said that it was not a fair decision. I don't want someone, no matter what color, who does not know exactly what to do in whatever condition. Lives could be lost. That I don't consider fair.

We have fought for equal rights. Now we have it. I applaud the Supreme Court for enforcing we live with it.

I am glad to see the Supreme Court return the verdict.
I am hoping that this will send a message that race does not have to do with how good you are.
Maybe, if the City of White Heaven include such things as job performance in judging who is best for a job position.

Sotomayor seemed to be leaning towards racial LEVELING as opposed to bias in the case regarding the firefighters' promotion. Written exams, especially those written in English, can be used as discriminatory means; Sotomayor–and the other judges in the ruling–took this into account.

Race will always be an issue for whatever side feels disadvantaged. Despite this, racial/sex issues are being blown out of proportion with Sotomayor.

Sotomayor is being met with so much fear masked as genuine concern for the exclusion for certain peoples (i.e. white men–based on media coverage).

She will make an excellent asset to the lopsided Supreme Court regardless of her race/gender. The latter will simply diversify the U.S government.

As a Latino I was deeply troubled this morning when I read the news that the Supreme court had overturned this case. What the county was attempting to do was to eliminate a form of institutional discrimination. Now people of color will not be able to argue that policies that give advantages to whites are discriminatory because changing them would mean whites no longer get those advantages. Institutions continue to privilege white Americans.

With regards to the Supreme Court decision today it is my sincere hope that "color blind" decision making becomes the rule instead of the exception. While I believe that tests and measurements should be reviewed to insure that they are not biased to certain groups I believe that they should accurately reflect and "promote" the most qualified candidate for situation strictly on performance.

Diversity does have many tangible and intangible benefits that can add value. If a company or city is having trouble finding qualified candidates to form a diverse workforce I believe it is perfectly acceptable for them to increase efforts to recruit qualified "diverse" candidates but it is not acceptable to change the qualifications for some candidates and not others based on race, gender, or sex.

With regards to the Supreme Court decision today it is my sincere hope that "color blind" decision making becomes the rule instead of the exception. While I believe that tests and measurements should be reviewed to insure that they are not biased to certain groups I believe that they should accurately reflect and "promote" the most qualified candidate for the situation strictly on performance.

Diversity does have many tangible and intangible benefits that can add value. If a company or city is having trouble finding qualified candidates to form a diverse workforce I believe it is perfectly acceptable for them to increase efforts to recruit qualified "diverse" candidates but it is not acceptable to change the qualifications for some candidates and not others.

How do you report this as "Reverse Racism" ? Are you saying that only certain groups can be discriminated against? That would be like saying that if Isreal invaded Germany and put all the Germans in an oven it would be a "Reverse Holocaust". I would expect journalists to be more educated. Look at a dictionary and read the definition for racism. It is frightening that four justices think that it is ok to discriminate against people because of their skin color. It is now popular to discriminate against whites and men. Being popular does not make it just, or constitutional. When is CNN going to run the special "White in America" and "White in America 2" like they did with "Black in America", during white history month.? When you treat one race differently than another it is called.........(wait for it)...............RACISM! Yes, that's right. CNN and 4 supreme court justices treat people differently after considering what color skin they have. When will you get that?

I could not agree with this ruling more. As a firefighter in a large fire dept outside washington dc i see first hand what the effects of promotion based on race and not on performance can do. If your family is trapped in a burning home or your parent has a life threating illness you dont want the best white, black, or hispanic firefighters to show up, you want the most quilified firefighters PERIOD!!! Politics should have no place when hiring or promoting a substandard employee to fill postions that could change a life in the communities we serve.

No matter what race we belong to, we all went through the same education system in this country. Promotions should be given to the people who scored the highest test scores.

Today will be remembered as Black Monday, the day the Bush Supreme Court (that is the court that unconstitutionally threw the election to Bush), abolished civil rights in this country. They casually overturned settled law, that employment hiring and promoting exams cannot be biased toward one group, whether intentionally or not. The fact that the results were so skewed is prima facie evidence that the test was biased. Such tests are required by law to closely reflect the ability to do the specific job being tested for, not abstract ability in general. Anyone can make up a test that will favor any given group, if there is no connection to the specific job.

I am sure New Haven is not the first city in this country to have a fire department, since they were introduced by Ben Franklin hundreds of years ago. Other cities have come up with appropriate tests for jobs of this kind, so there was no need to invent a new test. I doubt the city intentionally biased the test, but that is not the point. The city did take the correct action once it saw the results.

The blindness of the current Supreme Court as demonstrated by this wrong ruling is exactly what candidate Sonia Sotomayor was talking about, and is what the conservatives who hate her desire to perpetuate. When it came to unfairness toward minorities, they never saw a problem, but when it comes to perceived unfairness toward their own, they suddenly are color blind. Amazing.

This ruling by the Supreme Court is the last word; there is nowhere to appeal it. It automatically becomes precedent throughout the country. This opens the door for every organization in the country to design whites-only tests for every aspect of employment, no matter how blatant biased. In other words, the majority of this court has just abolished civil rights in America.

Either you can pass the test or you can't. If we allow race to determine who will be hired or promoted, aren't we saying that certain races aren't as smart as others? Shortly, whites will become a minority in this country. Then will blacks and hispanics still want affirmative action? I don't care what color you are, I want a doctor, lawyer, police officer, fireman to be the tops in his field and I know of no other way to know who that is except for testing.

RACE – I wish that for just 1 day people could experience being a different race and culture as in the book, "Black Like Me." Racism still happens in America and therefore as an African American female, I refuse to close my eyes to it. In fact, because it exists and remains so prevalent, I try to make sure that I am sharper than ever. Unfortunately, that still isn't enough for the next hurdle . . . gender.

The Supreme Court ruling will effect other cases nationwide where
white firefighters have been denied promotions because of their race.
In Buffalo, 13 firefighters were denied promotions because, in the words of the Commisssioner of Human Resources, "The current
promotional list would only promote more whites". Try substituting the
word blacks for whites and Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson et al would be
all over it.

Unlike Mr Tobin – I believe there is a middle posiiton where diversity can be a factor; presented with 2 roughly equal candidates – however if no one bother to apply – how can I prevent someone else from moving forward? – This is not a diversity issue – shame on you.

One might also remember the lessons in Miami when the Police department hired by race versus qualifications back in the 80s – How many problems were there?

well, it just shows that America needs to perceive race, quotas, and hiring policies differently than since the 60's and 70's to today...

btw, thank god for the courts... 2 branches of government have failed us with this issue, the Executive Branch(es) and the legislative Branches... at least the courts have the "cojones" to take on such an important issues for all Americans....

So the five right wing activist judges on the Supreme Court changed the law from the bench? Isn't this one of the things the GOP planned to use to oppose Judge Sotomayor? I hope she throws this in their faces when the time comes. She actually supported the existing law in Connecticut.

"May the best man (or woman) win". If best is determined by a test that was put together by a third party, having nothing to do with race or culture, then indeed the person who passes the test is the winner. The test measures the applicant's knowledge of firefighting, the proper equipment to use, the "science" of firefighting. If my house is on fire, I want the finest, smartest, most tenacious firefighters trying to save my home.

Race should play NO part at all in hiring or promotion. I am very sorry that there are underprivelaged people in this world, but the most qualified person deserves the job or promotion... Regardless of race or gender! The only reason the race issue is still around is because people allow it to exist.

What if the New Haven firefighters had taken the test and the only ones who scored high enough for promotion were black?
If the department decided not to promote anyone because only blacks had earned promotions, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would have swooped down on New Haven. There would have been marches and rallies on the courthouse steps.
White people just can't win - especially white men.
Racism and discrimination are accepted in this country, as long as they are directed at white men.
It's pure hypocrisy, nothing else.
The ruling that the Supreme Court overturned basically said blacks are not as smart as whites, so they need help. Affirmative action says the same thing.
Don't African-Americans find these views insulting and patronizing?

It isn't "reverse discrimination". It is discrimination, period. It does not matter whether it happens to a white person or a black person: Discrimination based on race is wrong, period. We need to stop segregating ourselves this way. You would think we would have learned something from the past. Given an opportunity, blacks will discriminate against whites just as readily. Women will discriminate against men if they have the opportunity. We need to stop providing the opportunity.

We also need to stop providing the opportunity for self pity. Blacks do nto suffer higher unemployment because of racism. They suffer higher unemployment because they did not take advantage of affirmative action. If they had taken advantage of this reparation program, their unemployment rate would be just as low as it is in the Asian community.

Blacks are not incarcerated at a higher rate because of racism either. They are in prison, because they commit crimes at a rate that is four times higher than whites. All of the problems in the black community, are caused by the black community. It is time to make them take responsibility, instead of blaming white people for everything.

Being a white female I, too, have suffered from reverse discrimination. It is about time that America woke up to the fact that white people are now becoming, if not already, the minority. Too many times I have witnessed jobs going to a less qualified minority than to a more qualified white person.

I saw your comentary on the soldier, Charles Edward Dane and I wanted to say that I am a former soldier from the Vietnam Era. First and foremost, my condollences to his family. Next thank you for your reporting and attention to this "trooper". There are many of us that suffer from PTSD, whether it was involvement in a war zone, or involvement in the making of America. Looking back, I remember being in the military when there were "white only" and "colored eating and waiting areas". I remember Selma, "Ole Miss" and other disturbances. I remember because I was a part of the military then. Charles Edward Dane is to be commended because he carried on the tradition that those before him laid the groundwork for

In regard to health care reform, and I am all for it, but something President Obama said triggered a question, Which is costlier, a single payer or overseeing and keeping cost effective and honest many different companies? Thank you, Patricia Thomas

i am getting tired of hearing about micheal jackson let him rest in peace

White America has all the advantages in the U.S.Will these same Americans openly admit the discrimination of other races,past and present?.Or,are these the typical good ol boys that hate to see the progress of others?

I don't like characterizing this as a case of "reverse discrimination." In the interest of diversity, the city tried to throw out the measuring stick at the wrong time; that is, they tried to throw out the test after they administered it. Of course the folks who took it expected the results to be used and were upset when they were thrown out and looked to blame others. Tragically, it developed into a very ugly, very public racial divide that the community will have to deal with for many years to come.

What the media ought to cover is the angle that tests inherently carry various biases, intentional and unintentional. Psych 101 classes study the linguistic test biases against Black students that were uncovered in studies from the '60s. The White students didn't fare well in tests using language that Black students were familiar with. In addition to ethnic bias, other biases have become more apparent – such as gender, education, regional, urban/rural. Sophisticated psychological scales build into personality tests "F Scales," which measure how much the subject is lying.

Quite simply, the city of New Haven needs a well-designed test and ought to have a third-party expert assess the exam for biases. They should work with the community and come to know the job requirements well enough to note its strengths and weaknesses and make recommendations. If appropriate, they can even design the new exam. I read somewhere that there were items that tested spelling. Those should probably be replaced with questions on psychological and leadership fitness.

I am appauld when I hear people say that affirmative action is no longer needed. Affirmative action is not just a racial issue it is also an economic issue. When blacks and hispanics have the highest unemployment rate and men still make more per hour than women, we still have a problem. We still have a difference in education standards which make it impossible for minorities to compete with non-minorities in testing. The gap is closing but we are not their yet. There is still a glass ceiling that keeps blacks and women out of high positions dispite education. I ask people all the time, what do you think happened to the white children who were standing with their mothers and fathers blocking the way for blacks in the 1950's and 60's. They grew up and are now in positions to turn over affirmative action.

Hi Kyra,

Someone on your air just said that it's clear that everyone wants "these kids to have healthcare." Well, that is simply not true. The repubs and the insurance companies do not want that. If that were true, it would have happened by now. Remember the fight and CHIP, how they fought against it.

The repubs care more about money than people and it is about time people started just saying that fact out loud. Remember, actions speak louder than words and your actions show what you care about. That is a simple truth and when you look at who is fighting against universal health care, the truth shows.

Love you and your show, btw. Thanks.