Part of me has reservations about depriving ignorant people of an opportunity to get educated, but another part of me thinks not booting them will probably result in more racists in positions of power.
It is. Getting an education at a top tier college? Not so much. There's always university of phoenix.
Especially true considering that some of these people accused of wrongthink might actually be onto something. It's not a good idea to assume that popular views are certainly the correct ones.
A 17 year old can not vote in national elections, can not drive without restrictions, can not enlist in the military, can not drink, and can not marry. Clearly society has decided that they have not finished developing as people.
Yes? Did you leave college with the same beliefs you had when you arrived?
And if a high school kid can't grow out of racist tendencies, what is the point of all the marching and speeches and protesting and educating then? By that logic, not one mind can ever possibly change because racism is hereditary and permanent.
Similarly, having admission rescinded is especially inconvenient for the people involved and will stimulate some of them (and those around them) to question their racist beliefs. If people renounce their racism, I am all for giving them a second chance. But giving racists the privilege of a top-tier education, often at the expense of non-racists who were denied that same privilege, all while the racists are unrepentant? Nope.
Your alternative is to what, eliminate them from the Earth? As if the "racism" has become this permanent quality?
This entire comment thread is extremely spooky to me. There's such a willingness to be mean-spirited in the name of equality it's downright terrifying.
They're teenagers. You want to punish teenagers for comments, and have the consequences follow them for the rest of their lives?
Is that just?