David Walker on Civil Rights

Equal benefits for civil unions, but no same-sex marriage

A: Yes, for civil unions. I oppose "same sex marriage".

Equal benefits for civil unions; but no same-sex marriage

• A. Same-sex couples should not be allowed to marry or form any kind of civil union
• B. Same-sex couples should be allowed to form civil unions, but not to marry in the traditional sense
• C. Same-sex couples should be allowed to marry legally, with all the same rights as traditional marriages

I believe in affirmative action but not quotas

A: Oppose. I believe in affirmative action but not quotas. I believe that people have to demonstrate that they're taking affirmative steps to prevent discrimination within the population that's available to fill the jobs that they have. If the evidence is they're not doing that--and the presumption should be that they are doing that--then only in those circumstances should the government intervene.

Q: What do you mean by "the population that's available to fill the job"?

A: The key is the qualified population. I used to run a worldwide practice. There are sometimes very few people from protected groups, rightly or wrongly, who are qualified for a particular job. You need to increase the supply to increase diversity.