on him because he was black. He must think that without affirmative action, he would have somehow risen to the top and would have been the only black man on campus. Then all the racist would have been looking at him in awe and saying to each other, "yup, he's THAT good!"

Not a chance. He would never have been there no matter how good he was. The racist would much prefer a good white kid over a great black one every time.

so that they can have their quota ...

and, being the reason the quota is filled, Thomas doesn't like the idea that someone else can come along and steal his thunder, maybe even replace him. Hence, "I got mine, screw you."

Now, my own bachelors and masters degrees really ARE worthless, because I have been working now for 22 years as a janitor or a factory temp.

Nothing wrong with an honest day's work, but people do not goto college and study math and physics so they can work as a janitor. I could do this job with a 6th grade education, or less. In fact, I was hauling chairs and setting up the band when I was in the 5th grade. So I could do the job I have had for the last ten years with a 4th grade education.

my BA is in math, and I took enough college physics courses, that I was only about two courses and a project away from a physics degree.

But I found lots of jobs - operating a drill press in a satellite dish factory, assisting with a computer punch press in an industrial controls factory, assembling satellite dish mounts in another factory, cleaning a bar part-time, working as a factory temp for 3 years in a jello factory, working as telephone customer service for a credit card company, working as a janitor for the city parks department.

Just no employers that have any use for all the college courses that I took.

I find your story very depressing.

justifying affirmative action and proving one of "those people" could do the job. Just like the right-wing can't abide a n%&&er President. If they let him succeed, who knows what might happen? The next one might not be so friendly.