Doesn't affirmative action just acknowledge the differences of abilities between race & sex?

Question

This is what I understand from A.A. Because certain peoples are born into a certain race, creed or gender, they need a lil' extra-push in society. Please enlighten me.

I'm a "minority" female, and I think A.A. is a politically correct way of true racism, and needs to be abolished.

Answer 1

While I think you totally misunderstand the intent of Affirmative Action, your misundertanding serves to illustrate why I think affirmative action actually does more harm than good for the black community.

I feel affirmative action encourages MORE bigotry against blacks.
1. It creates the image that blacks need special help, that standards need to be lowered in order for blacks to succeed. How can that attitude be viewed as anything but insulting!
2. It casts doubt as to wheter the person you are dealing with got the job because he was the best, or just because he just had the right skin shade.
3. It gives whites an excuse to why blacks have all the breaks & why they need to help "their own people" instead of being equal.

Every time I hear someone say they know someone who didn't get a certain job because they hadn't met thier "quota" of Blacks, I cringe, knowing this just perpetuates more bigotry. It doesn't matter if it's the truth or just a loser's excuse for not getting a job. If people believe it as the truth, the effect is the same.

Answer 2

Now, aff. act. has been around for about three decades. Back in the early 70s when it first was implemented, this was a much needed program. You do agree, right? In the 70s, a black person was hard pressed to find employment in the white dominated economy.

Today, maybe its obsolete. But the original reason behind the implication was not to "acknowledge the differences of abilities between race & sex." It was originally implemented to give blacks the opportunity to have a job that was worthwhile.

Maybe you should read up on it.

Answer 3

nicely, i could think of that socioeconomic is better than race because of the fact being undesirable is the genuine handicap. regrettably, racial discrimination nonetheless exists and we could choose the present affirmative action. the different difficulty with affirmative action is that, for my area, does not create equality in any respect. And is arbitrary too. i could ideally choose some thing that advantages somewhat means and not race or how plenty money you had. we don't stay in an appropriate international nonetheless.

Answer 4

The idea behind it was to give people a "leg up" to compensate for past discrimination, or to acknowledge the idea that there is still discrimination.

I agree that it can cause the perceptions you describe.

I think a better program would be to look at everyone as an individual - if there are specific problems (like poverty) they overcame, then maybe they have more ambition than the average person.

Answer 5

Affirmative action=racism

Answer 6

Affirmative action has outlived its time and original intent.

I've seen people that get into governmental job programs through AA and then flunk out because they lacked the skills to complete the program. What does that do for your self esteem?