I think affirmative action should be abolished - that it does more harm than good - yet I've used it on several occasions to give Cam an advantage over his white counterparts.
I can imagine you will start a debate here with this secret. You are using what is legally available to you. There are pros and cons and probably most people are inbetween on one hand it draws people to areas of study and work they may never consider otherwise. Some stereotypes may never be broken without affirmative action. Take a look at he US military over 50 years as an example. Well others will say it is condescending to minorities to say they need affirmative action to succeed. Tough one....
I agree with the poor/rich comment but at this point race is still a factor.
Affirmative action is right because for a couple hundred years blacks were experiencing disaffirmative action in the form first of slavery then Jim Crow laws. Surely a people that was literally enslaved just several generations back can still use some extra help. You don't do something like that to a group of people and then say "Hey! That was then and this is now. Just get over it!"
Enslavement followed by discrimination has had powerful adverse effects on African Americans and as a nation we ought to take reaponsibility for that.
Buff, I think we are already there, but it just so happens there is a measurable racial inequity among the rich and poor.
Kannon, I had an opportunity to enroll my son in a magnet school when he first started in public school. There were minority "quotas" for the school, and I watched white children be turned away when there were seats available due to lack of minority interest. That is a problem.
Paul, but why should my son, whose heritage is not one of slavery, be given special consideration over a white child whose family has struggled for hundreds of years?
Dana, I'd have to agree with you that it should be abolished. But when it's used properly, it can be of benefit. It's great when a parent uses every advantage they can to help their child succeed in school but like you said, it's a shame when children are being turned away from a magnet school because the seats are saved for minorities that show no interest. That's just wrong!
Affirmative Action is a law that looks good on paper. In practice it has worked with mixed results good and bad. No law can guarantee results. We would all be lucky if we could have equal opportunity.
AA takes jobs away from qualified people and gives them to unqualified people for the sake of diversity...A total screw deal for business and industry.
We all use whatever leverage we can to ensure our loved ones are looked after, there's nothing wrong with that. As far as the policy goes, I have always thought that positions should go to the best person, irrespective of colour, creed, religion or ethnic background. I have a son who is now an officer in our Army [I'm an Aussie] rather than a constable in our police force because there has been an unfair emphasis on recruiting women over the past 10 years. I am of course, very proud of him, but it wasn't his first choice.
12 comments:
Soon poor and rich will be the issue, color and race differences will fade...
I can imagine you will start a debate here with this secret. You are using what is legally available to you. There are pros and cons and probably most people are inbetween on one hand it draws people to areas of study and work they may never consider otherwise.
Some stereotypes may never be broken without affirmative action. Take a look at he US military over 50 years as an example. Well others will say it is condescending to minorities to say they need affirmative action to succeed. Tough one....
I agree with the poor/rich comment but at this point race is still a factor.
Affirmative action is right because for a couple hundred years blacks were experiencing disaffirmative action in the form first of slavery then Jim Crow laws. Surely a people that was literally enslaved just several generations back can still use some extra help. You don't do something like that to a group of people and then say "Hey! That was then and this is now. Just get over it!"
Enslavement followed by discrimination has had powerful adverse effects on African Americans and as a nation we ought to take reaponsibility for that.
I agree it should be abolished.
Even the best laws can be abused, and the worst can be beneficial when properly applied.
I also agree that affirmative action --in practice--serves at this point to maintain a gap rather than bridge it.
I agree that affirmative action is a antiquated practice. I would be insulted if it were used on my behalf.
But I understand the desire to have your child have the best chance of success.
Buff, I think we are already there, but it just so happens there is a measurable racial inequity among the rich and poor.
Kannon, I had an opportunity to enroll my son in a magnet school when he first started in public school. There were minority "quotas" for the school, and I watched white children be turned away when there were seats available due to lack of minority interest. That is a problem.
Paul, but why should my son, whose heritage is not one of slavery, be given special consideration over a white child whose family has struggled for hundreds of years?
Sage, I don't believe the law is abused, but rather antiquated.
Turn, I agree - it encourages one to take the easy way out. No hard work necessary - just being born into the "right" ethnicity is enough.
Karen, and a day might come when my son feels the same way, yet if I can give him an edge - deserved or not - I'd be hard pressed to pass it up.
Dana, I'd have to agree with you that it should be abolished. But when it's used properly, it can be of benefit. It's great when a parent uses every advantage they can to help their child succeed in school but like you said, it's a shame when children are being turned away from a magnet school because the seats are saved for minorities that show no interest. That's just wrong!
Affirmative Action is a law that looks good on paper. In practice it has worked with mixed results good and bad. No law can guarantee results. We would all be lucky if we could have equal opportunity.
AA takes jobs away from qualified people and gives them to unqualified people for the sake of diversity...A total screw deal for business and industry.
We all use whatever leverage we can to ensure our loved ones are looked after, there's nothing wrong with that. As far as the policy goes, I have always thought that positions should go to the best person, irrespective of colour, creed, religion or ethnic background. I have a son who is now an officer in our Army [I'm an Aussie] rather than a constable in our police force because there has been an unfair emphasis on recruiting women over the past 10 years. I am of course, very proud of him, but it wasn't his first choice.
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