Many MSU students agree Martin Luther King Jr. worked for a diverse, colorblind society, but the means to achieve this goal by using Proposal 2 is where they differ.
MSU students disagreed on whether King would view Proposal 2 as a step forward or a step backward, according to his goals and aspirations for humanity.
"As a society, we have to move forward in order to make things better for the upcoming generations, and with Proposal 2, it makes it an obstacle for the upcoming generation," said Ezequiel Garcia, the co-chairman of Culturas de las Razas Unidas.
Michigan will be negatively affected by Proposal 2 because of the possibility of decreased funding for minority groups and the issue of denying women health care, the criminal justice senior said.
"Martin Luther King (Jr.) would not be in favor. He was fighting to make all the races equal," Garcia said. "Proposal 2 and affirmative action does not make races equal."
The sacrifices of King and other activists were done in vain with the passage of Proposal 2, Garcia said.
But Jeff Wiggins, president of the MSU College Republicans, said King's dreams show he would be in support of Proposal 2.
"It's a huge step forward," the history senior said. "I think we are a different generation than that of our parents and our grandparents."
Wiggins said King was working toward a society where it didn't matter what a person looked like.
Lauron Kehrer, the co-president of People Respecting Individuality, Diversity and Equality, said King would oppose the amendment.
"Martin Luther King Jr. would be disappointed on how people are addressing issues of gender, sexual orientation and class," said the musical performance junior.
Kehrer said the way Proposal 2 was explained on the ballot gave the illusion that the proposal would help improve diversity.
In reality, she said, "It's going to hurt anyone who is not a straight, white male."
Communication senior Daniel Piedra said King wanted everyone to look at one another with a colorblind eye, and now people use race to advance their political ideology.
"Affirmative action is a disgrace to the African American population," Piedra said.
It categorizes and labels blacks so they vote a certain way to keep affirmative action, Piedra said.
"People are people, and everyone deserves a chance," he said.
Scott Lachman, a marketing senior and former president of the Jewish Student Union, said he sees both sides of the issue.
"One of King's goals was to make every campus an equal opportunity institution," Lachman said. "I'm not sure how Proposal 2 will affect our campus, but I don't think there will be many visible, tangible effects."
He said he hopes the administration and faculty will continue to work toward King's dream.
Both Wiggins and Piedra said students will try to make an apparent connection between Proposal 2 and Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday.
"I pretty much know for a fact that people who are opposed to Proposal 2 are going to exploit Martin Luther King (Jr.) Day," Wiggins said. "They are going to use this as an opportunity to say that this is not what Dr. King wanted."
Corie Peterson, vice president of Hubbard Hall Black Caucus, countered Wiggins by saying Proposal 2 will not have any relevance during King's remembrance.
"Martin Luther King (Jr.) stood for unity, and Proposal 2 will not unite people," Peterson said. "In the long run, it will divide us racially and economically."
