Advantage Quote by William O. Douglas
“There is no superior person by constitutional standards. An applicant who is white is entitled to no advantage by reason of that fact, nor is he subject to any disability, no matter what his race or color. Whatever his race, an applicant has a constitutional right to have his application considered on its individual merits.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Supreme Court hearing, 1965
All applicants should be judged on individual merit, not race; equality under the Constitution applies to everyone.
In simple terms: Everyone deserves equal treatment regardless of race.
Key Takeaway
Uphold merit-based evaluation.
Themes
equality
justice
rights
Mood
formal
principled
Type
legal
ethical
When to use this quote
- employment
- college admissions
- housing
- public policy
Key Concepts
constitutional law
anti-discrimination
Questions to Reflect On
- How can institutions ensure truly merit-based decisions?
- What safeguards protect against hidden discrimination?
A Different Perspective
Systemic bias can still influence outcomes despite formal equality.
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
