Alexander Smith's letter ("Equality has to occur through legislation") yesterday highlights one of the logical flaws in the argument for affirmative action. That's because Penn State's employment of African American professors is below the national average or unrepresentative of the general population, there must be some sort of active discrimination occuring. I do not know anything about Penn State's hiring practices, but I do not see the de facto connection here. I suspect; however, that the number of African American applicants is a very small percentage of the total pool. If Penn State employs 3.2 percent (Smith's number) African American professors out of an applicant pool that is 3.2 percent African American (hypothetical number), then where is the injustice? Certainly not at Penn State. But Smith does not provide these data, nor I suspect, is he interested. It is far easier to assume and throw accusations of discrimination than to seek out real answers. Penn State's underemployment of minority professors is surely indicative of racial injustice in the world. But if we are to eliminate this, we must look more than surface deep and seek out the root causes. Otherwise, we only serve to further embitter racial groups against one another.