Do Affirmative Action policies discriminate against Whites?

Question

If you believe this, then explain how Affirmative Action policies work, and give clear examples as to how they discriminate against White Americans. From what I understand, the policies were intended to correct past injustices against minority participation. If this isn't so, please explain. Intelligent and objective answers only! Let's learn something here...

How do you correct injustices perpetrated against minorities, and at the same time, refrain from discriminating against the majority? Is the playing field really level? I think not! So, give some fair and objective answers to a complex and nagging situation...

Answer 1

Actually a friend of mine worked on the "Workplace 2000" and "Workplace 2020" book series and they (a Conservative think tank) came out in support of Affirmative Action (to a degree). In their studies Affirmative Action is proven to be a correction for past actions. It's benefit is readily noticable. It is noticable in future generations of the families. The family that does better financially in this generation provides for better education for the next generation. In several generations it provides for a better-educated work-force, which is better for everyone concerned.

Oh, and the concept of reverse-racism or "discrimination against white" is only possible in a setting where white are no longer the plurality (note, I didn't say majority). Thus, no: there is nothing discriminatory against white people. Those who claim such have limited understanding of ecomomics, etc. The concept is to increase the size of the pie, not to force the same pie into smaller slices.

And if you are in a 1 to 50 ratio of applications to jobs and you're blaming on something else, I know why you didn't get hired.

Answer 2

Yes, I think Affirmative Action is discriminate. When two people go for a position and the less qualified one gets the position because of the race, I see it as discrimination. It’s like the pendulum has swung the other way. I know why we have Affirmative Action and that it has helped, but maybe I’m to much of an idealist and think everyone should be judged on there merits alone. I also feel that America is a can do with out Affirmative Action and be mostly fair if we give it a chance. I realize some people have not and will not change but I think we should give it a chance.

Answer 3

It does discriminate in a way. It changes promotion from the most qualified to being color and sex coded. I worked in a place where a woman who had been there 18 months got promoted over guys who had been there 10-15 years just because she was a woman. It was well known she did not score the highest on the promotion test or boards, but she still got it. There are many cases where the promotion proceedings were just a formality because the person was already picked.

Naturally anyone who has been on the recieving end of this will feel discriminated against.

On the flip side it does offset a natural psycological need to be around like individuals. Many test have been done and they show that if two people who are equal come up, you will be more likely to pick the one who resembles you the closest. In that way AA is good. It allows for good jobs to be distributed among different groups.

So AA by its nature leads to discrimination by law. It really depends on where you are on the recieving end as to how you feel about it. As long as good people get promoted it is working, it is when people who cannot do the job get promoted because of political agendas is when a lot of people get upset.

Answer 4

I think they discriminate against everyone...
Affirmative action was instituted to level the playing field, so to speak, in the days gone by when African Americans and other minorities weren't hired simply because of skin color. Alot has changed since then..and Affirmative Action needs an overhaul in my opinion.
An example of discrimination is enrollment policies at universities, like University of Michigan. Admission is based on a point system, and more points are awarded based on race than on academics...that's just not right..and that was not the intention of Affirmative Action..in fact, that is the very thing it was trying to avoid. Equality is desirable, and necessary, but will not be achieved with any race having the advantage over another...we need to remove color as a consideration, and base decisions on qualifications, and education, etc...

Answer 5

I'm 52 yrs old and grew up in an area that was segregated and then went thru desegregation. From what I have learned and witnessed over the years, Affirmative Action was and still is a program designed to "even the odds" on entry into colleges, universities, med school, law school, etc. It was done because at the time, most of the minorities were attending schools that could not compete financially with their white counterparts. because of this, things like up to date text books, good teachers, and just the overall qualitiy of education was way behind. So, since they didn't have the materials to be on equal ground educationally, the minority students weren't scoring as high on entrance exams for higher education establishments. It stands to reason that if the population is say, 30% black, then the makeup in any or at least most colleges, would be 30% black. Since this wasn't happening, Affirmative Action came in and said that for schools to get federal funding, they had to have a student population that resembled the makeup of our society. (Sorry if I rambled on)

Answer 6

It certainly does...and I'm not white. The rationale of this program is flawed. What we need are the best people to occupy the limited number of seats available in our higher learning institutions. If one wanted to go to college, there are many avenues available. Look at the success stories of different people newly immigrated from all over the world. This social experiment should be terminated immediately. It just panders to the lazy minorities for political points... and you know which party promotes Affirmative Action. The problems that have caused the demographic imbalance in the college population is actually not race, but income. I believe that solutions such as school uniforms and vouchers from K to 12th grade would help in leveling the playing field.

Answer 7

Mr. Idealist, I'm honored to contribute!

I have the utmost respect for black Americans; just as Africans were the first people and, therefore, our fathers and mothers, black Americans have contributed much to making our country the excellent place it is.

My true feeling is that Affirmative Action is 1) insulting to blacks, as it indicates that there's no way a black student can hope to compete honestly with his white peers...what nonsense! What an insult!

I also feel that 2) it is absurd to try to fix injustice to black slaves in the past by giving goodies to today's black citizens...who may not even be related to those who were treated so badly!

The whole scheme is badly thought out, and does not address the problem...which is long since over and done with. It is pandering, and elitist, and has that putrid odor of Revisionism.

What's done is done. Let's learn something from it, and resolve to treat each other like human beings in the future.

Answer 8

It ain't no plan and that's affirmative! Man/woman should be given equal opportunities based on merit/qualifications, not to fill quotas for industries afraid of being sued, because they didn't hire the right race/gender/ethnic etc... So Affirmative action for any business is to hire the right person for the job! Affirmative Action policies or plans don't discriminate just whites, but want ever person is left out just so another makes the race/gender/ethnic quota, based not on qualifications but on the fill quota.

Answer 9

I think it does. It might not originally been meant to, but with my experiences it does! I have custody of 3 of my Grandchildren and I am a single white female and couldn't get any help with them from the state, even after there was a court order for me to get assistance. I guess cause I learned how to drive a truck years ago that disqualified me!
Oh! And I noticed that where we live the parks don't have any swimming pools, boys clubs or girls clubs. Anything I have these children into is paid for by ME!
I guess I'm just not smart enough to work the system but I'd rather work and stand tall and PROUD!
Something else, I couldn't even get into low cost housing, They are all filled up around here by Black Americans.

Answer 10

They really do in the State of California. My friend and I, both white male, same age, same education, same work experience both applied for a position with the State of California. He marked that he was a Mexican and I marked White. We were both very qualified, identically qualified for the opening. A score of 70 was required to get an interview. I was given a 69 and he was given an 85. His claiming to be Mexican was the only difference on our applications.
I applied for another position as a vocational instructor, for which I was extremely well qualified. A black male also applied and he was not even close to qualified. He got the position, but had no idea what to do. He held the position for 6 months, showing up, but never working one single day or teaching one single student ever. They kept him on the payroll for a full half a year and then afraid to fire him, they did away with his position and transfered him to another job.
At another time, I was working as a plumber (for the state) and was assigned a real looser. She was a black female that did not want to work at ANYTHING, but they needed some place to put her, because they were afraid to fire her because of Affermative Action. She rode around and looked at the work, but that was about all. I was afraid to do or say anything negative about her, because she was hiding behind Affermative Action and I could be sued because it would be her word against mine and I would loose.
All totalled, I applied for over 50 different jobs or promotions where I was very qualified, and only got the one, plumber job, because there were no blacks in competition for it.
I have tried to not be bitter, but if you had applied for 50 jobs that you were qualified for and were not hired only because you were black, that would be INJUSTICE. Yes, the white male is the victim of Reverse Discrimination.
I had four years in the Air Force and worked as an air trafic controler for the last two years of it. When I got out, I scored 107 points out of a possible 100 points (10 point veterans preference). I applied for a U.S. Government job as an air trafic controler, but was told that I was white and they couldn't hire me. They needed controlers, but the blacks couldn't get a passing score of 70, so they couldn't hire them, but I was white, so they couldn't hire me.
Yes, Reverse Descrimination really does exist.
In San Francisco, a white male is told to not even apply for a job as a fireman, because it will be at least 7 to 10 years before they can hire another white man because of the quotas.
My white great grandfather was in the Civil war, to FREE THE SLAVES. I have always been a supporter of non-discrimination, but Affirmative Action has hurt me financially and emotionally all my adult life.