Affirmative action has been established in order to give equal opportunities to minority students in college admission processes. In some states people have fought against this establishment.
Why? That is exactly my question. Why would you take the initiative to fight against a cause that provides equal opportunities for all.
If we look back in history, only the caucasian (sp?) race had the priviledge of going to a good school, and a college. There were many minority students that could have accomplished so much if they were only given the chance. As African American entered the world of college, their first steps into any academic establishmen have set fires in the heart of many people; who have in turn fought to keep them away from such establishments.
In the 21st century, we have not rid ourselves of that problem. Many colleges, and universities have set a number of seats that they will allow minority kids to attain. So what are we to do after that? Where are we to go? Equal opportunity is a democratic country seems very far fetched. In this past election the state of Michigan has banned Affirmative Action. So the college, and universities will be allowed to set a number of slots that will only be available to minority students. As a college bound minority senior, I feel frustrated and angered about the votes the citizens of Michigan have made.
We need Affirmative Action. Either people like it or not, it has fought for the rights of students, and will continue to fight for the rights of minority students if we allow it too.
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Even without Affirmative Action, there are still laws in place to protect people from discrimination for any reason. The lack of Affirmative Action will not immediately lead to a rise of discriminatory behavior - because people that discriminate such as businesses and schools will still have to answer for it.
What it does do is stop *forcing* businesses to hire minorities, who are sometimes less qualified than their Caucasian counterparts, to stay in compliance with Affirmative Action and EEO. Not that this happens all the time, but it does happen a lot. With Affirmative Action, businesses and schools will be free to hire or admit the best qualified for the best reasons, and will have to answer to authorities and lawyers if they don't.
Affirmative Action is not what made discrimination illegal - it was imposed to help the transition from a time when discrimination was running rampant to a time when discrimination was a crime. Discrimination remains illegal - Affirmative Action only served as a supplement and enforcer.
And on that note, why do so many Americans seem to think we have to have it or discrimination will run rampant again? No other free country has this law (that I can find) and none have problems with discrimination. I can't find any cases of discrimination anywhere from London, Dublin, Paris, Wiesbaden, Madrid - not in any free country. It makes me wonder if people have just become too comfortable with this supplemental law - because while it served it's purpose and did it's job, society as a whole does not need it - as is shown when only one country employs it.
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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
http://www.progressiveu.org/user/fanaile-drupal-org
No it does not force businesses to hire minorities. It gives the minorities equal chance, and if think there are no discrimination in this country you are absolutely wrong!!
You say there are no discrimination in London, have you ever been there. Have you ever noticed the stares that the new brown generation has been getting. Better yet have you heard of the harrasements that Muslim brothers and sisters are receiving. When you dont let a women into your court room for following her faith and wearing her hijab, that is straight out cold discrimination.
Paris, please, the government has banned religious head scarves from all public places. Well let me just say religious symbols. Knowing far well that Muslims are the second largest religious group in the country. I guess you dont take that as discrimination. ---------------------------------------------------
I never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain
First, I was speaking of job discrimination, not discrimination over all. And I was speaking about racial discrimination and you're talking about religious discrimination. Your blog was about affirmative action and relation to jobs. How does arguing about religious discrimination (in countries with well established national religions) counter my point?
And yes, Affirmative Action does force business to hire minorities. Have you ever had to hire anyone? Have you ever worked in human resources? If so then you've probably never come across a situation because maybe there were a lot of applicants?
However, I have had my hands tied because of Affirmative Action. And it sucks when you have one very well qualified white person applying for the same position as one very underqualified black person - and you're told (yes TOLD) to hire the black person because you have to make EEO standards.
Then it's always a bonus when that very underqualified black person ends up quitting on you anyway because she didn't know the job you were forced to hire her for.
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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
http://www.progressiveu.org/user/fanaile-drupal-org
You are not hired because of your skin color. That is so 20 years ago. You get hired for how well you present yourself, degress, and your experience. Very seldom do they go by what the color is. I mean it happens just as much with that as it is where the person lives.
But honestly if I had a white person come in with a suit on and a degree in his hand with 5 years of experience I would hire him over a black person who comes in with jeans and a shirt on without a degree and hardly any experience. It is all about benefiting the company, the only color they care of is green (money).
I don't understand affirmative action. If it is to make everything equal then why is it giving minorities an easier route to get into college? It would make the white person work harder to get into college then a black person. I do not know about you but in my eyes that really isn't equal. Anyways there is no such thing as minorities in America anymore. The races are pretty much equal. Well at least black and white ratios.
Well, it *was* necessary, and I agree with its initial implementation. At the time, discrimination was illegal, but there was still nothing giving minorities a chance to change their lives. Caucasians in this country were free to mobilize socially, meaning one generation could work hard and put their children up in social standings. But many would discriminate despite laws, and would use excuses. They got away with it because at the time racism was "okay" to much of the public. People that did speak out against racist behavior were punished by the racists (i.e., fired or expelled from school). So the best way to make sure businesses and schools were giving equal chances across the board was to say "okay, from now on you have to admit at least XX% minorites".
Now, racism is taboo, not the norm. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but it is much more closeted. There's no need for an employer to have to hire XX% minorites to counter racism. The laws are upheld much better than they used to be, and there are more people speaking out against racism without fear of suffering repercussions themselves.
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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
http://www.progressiveu.org/user/fanaile-drupal-org
I disagree! A lot of colleges have a status quota; they will only allow this many minorities in their school. That is what Affirmative Action fought against. There should not be a status quota, that there should be X amount of minorities. Everybody should have an equal chance.
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I never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain
Status quota does not exist anymore. And if there should be an X amount of black people in college there also should be an X amount of white people to get scholarships from the National Negro Fund. I mean it would make equal rights wouldn't it?
The black and white ratio in this country are definitely not equal. We were talking about this in our english class; our english teacher mentioned that as of now African Americans make up 11% of the population.
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I never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain
On one hand, I think affirmative action is a cool thing: making amends and what not.
But how long are we indebted to those it is in place for?
Quite frankly, I think they should just take the race bubble off college aps.
That is an amazing idea! However, they have not done so, and race seem to play a huge role in our society, and long is it does, we need things like affirmative action.
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I never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain
Prejudice also plays a huge role in society. We need an affirmative action for white people because we are being accused of racism for not allowing a certain number of minorities into colleges and businesses.
You are right. Truth be told we are all racists; yet, the white population is being blamed for everything.
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I never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain
How is special treatment for one race equal treatment for all? What happened in the past is just that-IN THE PAST. There is no 'repaying' for something that didn't even personally happen to you.
Affirmitive action is against whites, and it doesn't allow for equal treatment. It allows for special treatment for one race.
I agree with you. I mean granted the blacks were treated bad but that generation is, for the most part, past college age students. Granted there are older people that go to college but thats very few. So we do not owe anything to blacks that are in our generation. They were never mistreated because the civil rights movement was done way before they were born.
Not quite that old. Most of these people were our grandparents.
I have no idea where you guys are from. But, the world I live in today still practices racism openly. Racial profiling happened to me and my friends many times. Do you know what it feels like to go into a store and the manager follows through out the whole time? Or when you go into the airport, and you are the only one being searched?
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I never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain
Yea but what about the white people. I have cases of prejudice against me all the time. Just like me going against affirmative action I know for a fact there are some people that think I'm racist just because of my "redneck" name. It is just as bad for white people as it is for blacks. Racism is just a form of prejudice. Everyone gets picked on for things in their life; religion, race, stance on things. Everyone just needs stop blowing things out of proportion.
Why is it only blacks that whine about it? Whites are racially profiled by blacks just as much. And YES I do know what it is like to walk into a store and be followed the entire time-just about every teenager does. Black people just like to pick it out and claim racism.
And that is exactly why I dont like to be associated with them a lot of the time. Sometimes the claims are justified, but usually not. And yes, true african american persons dislike whites and give any black person in a relationship with a white person a lot of trouble for their decision.
Francesca Chambers
Exactly. It bugs me the most that white peoples prejudice happenings are foreshadowed by other races. It happens equally but society only looks at what the white person do and not the black person.
How do you feel about legicies?
True the two aren't directly related, but both programs give a better chance to some, while lowering the chances of others.
I'm a black kid who is opposed to affirmative action. Strange huh? Well, in my eyes, Affirmative Action establishes lower standards for minorities, inferring that we are incapable of performing at the same level as whites. Furthermore, how are we to know how much Affirmative Action is enough? Who sets the criteria? And I also don't want affirmative action to be a crutch for blacks....it's not like the majority of us use it anyways, we're too busy being gangsters, thugs, and sports stars....well I guess I should say trying to be*.
Read my blog on affirmative action, leave an opinion:
http://www.progressiveu.org/195752-affirmative-action-smaction
Micah B.
LOL..just gotta say--that was awesome!
I was just reading it to my friend on the phone and she agrees :p
That is a hard stereotype people need to get over, being gangsters, thugs and sport stars. There are a lot of black students in med schools and in law schools. There are a definitely a lot of blacks out there doing a whole lot of things. The problem of gangs, thugs are not only in the black communities; but are in all urban communities. It is not a race thing.
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I never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain
I am half black and I am ABSOLUTELY OPPOSSED to afimative action. Because of it a lot of people wonder if I got into my college because I am smart, or because I am a minority- and I got in because I have above average intelligence, so this really makes me mad. People dont wonder this because they are racist, but rahter because ther are so many Nigers that go to school here. And yes, the use of that word is approrpriate here. A Niger is anyone who is a gangster and is into drugs and perpetuates the sterotype of lazy stupid black people. I HATE being associated with it so much I have stopped telling people what race I am- and I shouldnt have to do that, but I have to so that people dont group me with those other students. IF anything, Affirmative Action AIDS racism.
Francesca Chambers
To put it simply, its just a slap in the face.
Wouldn't it be a great idea to just NOT ASK about race? That way you could get into college (or not get in) purely by your own merit, and not because you just happen to have a certain skin color.
There are plenty of smart blacks and Hispanics, they don't need affirmative action. But if Harvard accepts someone who is less than qualified in an effort to meet their "Hispanic quota" then the person might not be prepared and might drop out, and a person who would have done better will not have the chance to attend an ivy league school.
I agree! We say we live in a free country, yet our circumstances are still dependent upon what other people think about our skin color.
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I never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain
If you agree with the statement above (which I also happen to agree with) then you are saying affirmative action is not needed.
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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
http://www.progressiveu.org/user/fanaile-drupal-org
The only problem is that I am pretty sure that certain names like LaToya and Shaniqua give away someones race, lol.
Francesca Chambers
actually I have heard some white girls that have crazy names like that; althought i personally like the Latoya.
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I never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain
I have never really thought of it that way. I guess Affirmative Action is just as bad.
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I never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain
I'll keep this short. If I were a minority student who got amitted into college by affirmative action, I would consider this a slap in the face. Essentially what it says, is that you are not smart enough, or didn't make good enough grades to be admitted into our college. If I am a college student, I want to be accepted for what I did in high school, how well I did on my tests, amongst other things. Not because the school is being forced to fill a staus quo. I want to be admitted for what I did, not what I am.
As having really close relationship with so many college recruiters and admission officers, I would definitely say it is not a slap in the face. Did you if there were 2 equal students, and ones white and rich, the otherz minority and poor. The white kid is definitely going to be picked. Did you know that you can buy your way into college? What
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~~I never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain~~
~~Tell her not what she wants to hear. Tell her what she deserves to hear.~~
I would love to see a reliable source that say you can buy your way into college. I would also love to see a specific instance where you get into college by being white and rich.
All of these need to be from reliable sources. Reliable sources are not blogs, or forums.
simply look at our president, he received a 1210 on his SAT and went to a very prestigious college.
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~~I never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain~~
~~Tell her not what she wants to hear. Tell her what she deserves to hear.~~
What evidence do you that specifically states that our president bought his way into college. And what evidence is there that he bumped out a minority student. I need articles not opinions.