Cookie protest half-baked

Last week, on the Utah State University campus, the USU College Republicans had a cookie sale.

It wasn't a fund-raiser. It was designed to be an "awareness raiser." But, as it turned out, the event only served to raise a few hackles.

To protest affirmative action and programs that give preference to ethnic applicants, the group sold cookies to white males for a dollar but sold them for much less to African-Americans, Hispanics and other minorities. The plan was to drive home the point that giving people a leg up in education due to ethnic background is inherently unfair.

The point that got driven home, however, was that sometimes even young Republicans play into the ugly stereotype of being insensitive, aggressive and self-interested.

By singling out passing students and badgering them, the College Republicans hurt themselves more than they helped their cause. By being insulting, they gave others the right to ignore their message.

Affirmative action is an issue that does need to be debated openly, of course. It is a polarizing subject that needs to be addressed.

Turning the issue into a stick for beating fellow students, however, simply aggravates people and limits room for discussion.

Besides, anyone wishing to make a statement about the inequities of higher education could bake and sell the "cookie protest" a dozen different ways. Minority students, if they wished, could sell cookies to College Republicans but insist that their parents pay for the cookies. And special "deluxe" cookies could be set aside for students who have the right last name or all the right connections. And any student who can throw a football through a spare tire could be given a year's supply of cookies — and milk.

Admission policies at universities are riddled with problems and loopholes. Concerns need to be addressed but without the theatrics.

Protests have their place, and the College Republicans were fully within their rights to run the cookie sale the way they did and make the points they did.

The next time the group decides to take a swipe at fellow students, however, they may consider finding a way to go about it so they themselves avoid a black eye.