JRW0210D1's blog

Recently in my sociology class here at East Carolina University we were discussing Affirmative Action. My teacher, who happens to be a graduate student, seemed to think that Affirmative Action is all positive and everyone in the end ends up happy. I disagreed with him, but before I go into that I will discuss more about Affirmative Action and exactly what it is. Affirmative Action is a policy that gives minorities and women better chances to get jobs and recieve higher education. While Affirmative Action was a good plan for our country a few years back, when issues such as racism where more of a problem, I think that now it is doing more harm than good, at least from an educational stand point. Colleges and Universities supposedly have requirements that everyone is to meet if they want to be accepted to the institution. While these requirements must be met by the general public of those applying, minorities can get in without meeting such basic requirements. I understand that Universities need to be ''diverse'' and it is easier to achieve diversity through Affirmative Action but I do not think it is fair for people to get accepted who do not meet the basic entry requirements. I think the entire problem with higher education institutions using Affirmative Action is that it is too broad. The problem isn't that colleges won't accept people from minorites, the problem is minority groups do not get the same elementary level of education that non-minority groups usually get. Public chools are usually districted so that different neighborhoods go to different schools, but with every neighborhood having different financial backgrounds it is hard for students in poorer neighboorhoods to get the same educational opportunities as those children from the wealthier districts. If the this problem was solved so that all children got the same opportunities from the beginning needing Affirmative Action at the higher education level would not be neccessary.

Habeas Corpus, one of the orignal important ideas that our country was founded on. For those who don't know, habeas corpus is important when someone is being arrested. Bascially the writ of heabeas corpus means that you can not be illegally arrested. The government or law must notify you of why you are being arrested and prove just reason for your imprisonment. As of October 17, 2006 the law and governemt doesn't have to do this and Habeas Corpus means nothing.