In tonight's Steve Sailer column Playing With Fire: The Obama Administration Backs Anti-White Discrimination in Ricci, I couldn't resist adding a link to the classic American Renaissance article Quotas in the San Francisco Fire Department -A report on ten years of mischief. I'd forgotten an earlier version of this, Fighting “Racism" Rather than Fires - A first-hand report on the consequences of affirmative action. Two fascinating quotes:

An inexperienced black lieutenant quota-hire lost his life because he didn’t recognize the signs of an impending back-draft (explosion). Eight other firefighters had thrown themselves to the floor to avoid the heat that was sure to come (later estimated at 2000 degrees), but the medical examiner’s report said the man had been standing, and had not properly used  any of his protective clothing. Shouts from the firefighter bashing in the door to “ hit the floor,” along with the eerie calm that precedes a back-draft were wasted on this unfortunate man, who was hired and promoted beyond his abilities. Affirmative-action literally killed him.

There was a bitter epilogue to this incident. As they always do, hundreds of firefighters from the entire region attended the funeral to pay respects to a fallen comrade. The crowd spilled into the aisles and rear of the church. The former president of the San Francisco Black Firefighters Association—who was hired and given four promotions because he is black—took the opportunity to lecture the congregation about racism. It is a miracle no one walked out.

and

The best women are mostly lesbians. We have a group of athletic, outgoing, sock-you-in-the-arm women who are eager to at least try to perform at an acceptable level, without whining, without ducking work, and without filing frivolous sex-bias suits. They’re not as good as the pre-affirmative action men, but they can do the job.

Almost twenty years ago, I remember discussing affirmative action quotas with the University of Michigan's Joseph Adelson, who had written so powerfully against them in Commentary magazine. (Those were the days!) Adelson said: "The debate is over. What we need now is journalism." But apparently Jared Taylor and I are the only editors who agreed.