The controversial issue affirmative action has been scrutinized for its reverse racism. For many years I have debated back and forth about the idea of affirmative action. Is it necessary? I live in Louisiana in a city that is 50% African American, and our mayor is African American. I even attended a middle school that required a 50 to 50 ratio for black and white students which was eventually ruled illegal. Many African Americans and friends of mine live on welfare and food stamps. They have many half brothers and sisters and when they do have money they spend it on big screen televisions. It is also evident when I drive through the ghettos of my city I see broken down shacks with a nice waxed Mercedes with shiny rims parked in the driveway. This usually provokes me to question their values.
At times I agree with the idea that there is racism that places African American in an underprivileged environment, but mainly I wonder if it is the family, the culture of the family that has planted the child into a disadvantaged world. Perhaps, it is the family that plants a mentality of a victim and a self- deserving right to be given something when nothing has been done. This mentality sets them up to a self righteous attitude that does nothing and expects everything to be given to them, even college. I believe affirmative action is out dated and should be abolished; it only reinforces a racist attitude by exaggerating the suffering of the contemporary African American and allows them to carry the badge of a victim.
I am not denying that there is racism that hinders someone’s success, but I believe that affirmative action shouldn’t allow someone to enter college based on the pigments on someone’s skin. It is racist within itself. I believe that we should focus more on social economic class rather than on the bases of someone’s skin tone. People that live in poverty have fewer chances to afford a college education, and are under represented in universities and colleges. Why would a college allow an affluent African American to enter on the bases of affirmative action when they had all the opportunities as any typical affluent white person? Is that equality or over compensation? Is that a step towards equality?
I think that if any type of affirmative action should exist, it should be based upon economic, not racial, factors. I'd even entertain the idea of universal higher education- and that will probably be shocking to people who know me as a conservative. But, that's for another blog.
I was also going to write a blog about the inaccurate labeling of minorities as "victims," but you partially beat me to it- I'll have to change my blog up a bit so it's not a "repeat blog." I was also planning on writing a couple more on race, which is a big issue in Philadelphia, where I'm from. The thing that bothers me most about race is how everyone says we need to have a "dialogue," but when a white person attempts to enter this dialogue, and is perceived as being critical, he's called a racist. How is that an open, meaningful dialogue?
Here in louisiana the same is also true with "dialogue." it appears to me that it is almost taboo for a white person to speak about racism and injustices. This creates a frustrating environment that widens the gap between minorities and white people.
I look forward to reading your future blogs, especially unversal higher education. so far all the blogs that you have written are quite interesting. i think you provide a different view point that is more objective, yet stimulating.
education should exist for all, regardless of their background. if there are not enough schools for everyone, then the country should build more schools and hire more teachers, instead of choosing one student over the other. there is no excuse for denying a child his rights to higher education.
You can't tell right now, but I'm clapping; I couldn't have said it better myself. It was like I was reading that paper I wrote for my history colloquium all over again. If you wanna see something really interesting, check out this website: http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/bakke.html
Scroll down to the second chart; it's from the Supreme Court case California v Bakke (1978). It breaks down the GPA and MCAT scores of people who met the school's requirements to get in, and those who were admitted under the special program for the "disadvantaged." My Constitutional Law professor showed this to our class and my jaw hit the floor.
Excellent blog! You also beat me to the punch!
k
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reality amidst bullshit
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/49917