Life is one big Test, Are you prepared?

I never really minded tests when I was in school and even after. I would probably have scored higher on most of them if I’d taken more time to study beforehand and more time to actually complete it.

That’s what comes I suppose of being both a Type A person and having a good memory. Well, I guess I’m stuck with the former and I hope that the latter stays around too.

But, back to tests:-

Indulge me for a moment and come up with the test of your choice. Now select any appropriate population sample and give them time to study. Now comes test day and the results are eventually scored. This should be no surprise but some will pass and some will fail.

For those brought up in parts of the California School System; yes, I know it's shocking but it is possible to actually fail, but I digress again ….

So, in order to get back on track, let’s take a look at New Haven, Connecticut, way back where a test was scheduled in order to produce a shortlist for promotion within their fire department.

Those tested waited with breathless anticipation. And then the results were announced. Guess what? Some passed and some failed. So far, so good but wait there was a snag. Not all the white candidates passed nor did all the Hispanics. As expected some passed and some failed.

But because every black applicant failed, the test was ruled invalid by the City of New Haven. Would someone please explain to me what question or questions could be asked that some Whites and Hispanics could handle but would remain incomprehensible to all our African-American fellow citizens. Or was it simpler than that? Could it be that not all applicants put in the pre-test work? Or could it be that the Black applicants, consciously or unconsciously, felt they could rely on Affirmative Action and, therefore, study and preparation were not needed.

You decide.

Can you imagine how the men and women felt when they learned that all their midnight oil was in vain?

Now I’ll fast forward through all the lower court machinations and we’ll get to the second circuit based in New York. And there sits Judge Sotomayor.

She ruled that because all the Blacks failed the test, there must be something wrong with the test and, therefore the City of New Haven was justified in ignoring the whole process.

Again, ignoring all the intermediate legal sparring, the case wound up in the Supreme Court of the United States and was adjudicated about a month ago. The firefighters were right and the City of New Haven was wrong.

And so was Sotomayor!

Again!