Is affirmative action bad for America?

Question

"Affirmative action is also a big factor behind the higher than average drop-out rate among blacks in colleges and universities. In the California UC system, only 7.2% of minorities admitted under "special criteria" (code for affirmative action) graduated in four years, and less than 50% in six years. "White or other" students graduated at rates of 34.1% and 77.6%, respectively. This is the sports equivalent of athletes who could perform at the AA level, struggling at AAA ball. And those who could perform well at AAA, failing in the major leagues."
"South African President Nelson Mandela speaks out against "a culture of entitlement" and warns of "false prophets who seek to perpetuate the apartheid divisions and imbalances of the past, by presenting affirmative action as a program intended to advantage some and disadvantage others on the basis of race and color." Significantly, South Africa does not have public sector affirmative action."
"Ebony" magazine ran a series called "If I Were Young Today," in which older black achievers gave advice to black youth. Their advice was straightforward, their optimism striking. Work hard, get an education, don't blame others, your time is now. The great civil rights and union leader A. Phillip Randolph said, "[Black] youth must offer the future the same things that white youth offer and they must have the faith that there is no basic racial difference in potential for achievement -moral, intellectual, or spiritual. The future holds great opportunity for those who are prepared to meet and face the challenge of this age of science, technology and industrialism and social, economic and political change."

Oh, the year of this "Ebony series"? 1963.

http://www.larryelder.com/racial/noaffirmative.htm

Answer 1

The answer below is one I have written to a Yahoo question similar to yours:

Of course affirmative action is wrong for America. One should not water down the standards of any institution, whether educational or professional, just to allow a certain number of one disenfranchised group in over another. Acceptance, ideally, should be based on merit solely.

People want affirmative action because, supposedly, it ensures that inequalities doesn’t exist in hiring practices in the work place and in acceptance standards in institutions of learning. The exact opposite is true. Affirmative action actually does discriminate heavily against those who are qualified, for the sake of those who beg for pity. All it ensures is ethnically diverse mediocrity and incompetence.

Keep in mind that I am as brown as they come. So this is not coming from a disgruntled white man

Its interesting that you noted the year of the Ebony magazine edition. I wonder in this age of political correctness, where we bend over backwards not to offend anyone, whether Ebony would be willing to vocalize this message of self-reliance.

Answer 2

I am a liberal Democrat, and I feel that affirmative action is the worst thing that has been done to minorities in the last 50 years. When they first came up with the idea I was all for it as I felt it would be a temporary measure to help the minorities catch up with the majority. Used this way it could have been good for everyone. As we have used it, it has caused the minorities to fall even further behind, by not encouraging them to try to be their best. It has also been very bad for America which was actually your question. Particularly in government and education where standards have continually been lowered to allow the minorities to succeed without trying. We are educating people to the lowest common denominator and therefore falling farther and farther behind the rest of the world. Minorities, and women, can be just as good as anyone else, but when you don't have to try you don't do your best.

Answer 3

There was a time and place for Affirmative Action Laws. They have now out lived their usefulness and have become a burden. In the beginning employers really needed a reason to employ and promote minorities in the South. The Affirmative Action Laws provided that reason. My family were employers in the South and were conscious of what others would say if they began to promote or hire minorities for certain positions. Some employers needed to be forced to hire minorities because of learned cultural prejudices. The Blacks have now had ample time to prepare themselves to be qualified for any position they are seeking, unfortunately too many have relied on Affirmative Action and have been crippled by it. But, if you eliminated Affirmative Action Laws you would Jesse Jackson out of a job.

Answer 4

Yes, as long as there is a substantial discrimination, then I'm all for it. America is great because the poor, un-educated still have a chance at getting an education, working hard, and succeeding.

Personally, I do see it as biased and wrong, but it's goal is to eliminate the need for it, hence aa can go away

Answer 5

It's racism, in the late 70's a white man couldn't get a good job cause of quotas

Answer 6

yes and no it is found bad cause it may not give the proper person the job. than it is good cause it helps dome people get looked at for a job that is other wise looked over cause of his or her race.