The LA Times published a brief article yesterday that was surprising on two levels. First, California of all states passed a constitutional amendment in 1996 (prop 209) that banned the use of affirmative action in public college admissions decisions. Second, a group known as--this is a mouthful--the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration, and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary, or BAMN, is suing the University on California on the basis that California's constitutional amendment violates the 14th amendment's of the Constitution. You read that right. BAMN is claiming the California constitution is Unconstitutional because UC doesn't provide preferential treatment to minority students, and because the university places too much emphasis on high school grades and test scores. Whatever happened to the idea of merit in this country?