Affirmative Action: DO the pros outweigh the cons?

Question

This isn't my actual question. My REAL question is, am I missing something? Someone who's FOR Affirmative Action, please tell me what some more pros are, because I'm just not seeing them.
Pros:
It gives minorities a chance that they probably would not have received otherwise, which is great. Affirmative Action came at a time when it was sorely needed. However:
Cons:
1. Too many take advantage of the system.
2. It makes my friends who are minorities wonder if they got a job because they're a minority, or because they're qualified for it.
3. Most employers in most areas will no longer refuse a job due to the color of someone's skin.
4. A person who is a minority would not know if the person who employed them was racist or not, because of Affirmative Action.
There are more but I can't think of any right now. Can anyone help me out, explain to me how Affirmative Action is better than I think it is?

And this is not because I'm racist, because I'm NOT racist. I love all people, regardless of the color of their skin.

Did ANYWHERE in my question give the idea that this was about President Bush?
I'm wasting my time but:
1. He graduated with a C average. His grades were higher than John Kerry's.
2. He received a 1280 on his SAT score. That is higher than Bill Clinton AND John Kerry.
His IQ is estimated at 128, not in the 90s.
SOMEONE needs to quit reading silly propaganda that is nothing but lies.
Oh, and thanks for not answering my question.

Answer 1

It is not good at all. It denigrates the minority person that busted their butt to overcome and also gives jobs to the slackers of non-white races just to meet some mythical quota number.
People should be hired because they are the best. That is how I do it at my machineshop, so far I have had the feds step in twice over some AA crap. That is why I broke my business into 4 smaller business, now the Feds cannot tell me jack since I do not have enough people technically working for me at any one business to come under their guidelines.
Even still, since I only hire the best, I have to say my workforce is about 33% black while in my area they are only about 7%. I do not like slackers, regardless of race, creed or national origin.

Answer 2

Good question.
But lets not forget that affirmative action doesn't just help people who are non-white.
I'm handicapped (in a wheelchair for life). I work a full time job with a big corporation and have always supported myself without any welfare. I'm very thankful for my job and for my company.
If I apply for a position in this company (and I have), affirmative action just makes sure that I get an equal chance to be considered. It doesn't guarantee i'll get the job (which i didn't get the position I applied for because someone else was more equalified). What it did, was keep me in the running unitil I could be beaten by someone else.
It does make employers hire a certain amount of minorites, like the handicapped. It gives that population a certain chance that they otherwise wouldn't have had.
So to answer your question, yes the system sucks. But it's better than what we had before where all the healthy white males got all the better jobs.
Don't forget that women are considered minorities in the job place as well.
Wouldn't you want fairness in being considered for a job? Not to be be just rejected because you are female?
Think about it.

Answer 3

I think that at one point in the nation's history affirmative action was needed. That time is past. Is there racism, bigotry, sexism, etc? Of course there is. There always will be. The sane and rational people of the world are more concerned with hiring a person who they think is best suited for the job they are hiring for. When I go to the doctor I want to be confident that they got into medical school because they are smart and will give me the best care possible, NOT because the school needed another person of some ethnicity or sexual persuasion to make their numbers look good.

Answer 4

1. Too many take advantage of the system.
How so? AA is solid where I work, and any minority hired must be as qualified as anyone else to be offered a position. If there aren't enough minorities, recruitment activities are done, to attract qualified applicants rather than hire because of where they come from.


2. It makes my friends who are minorities wonder if they got a job because they're a minority, or because they're qualified for it.
Not me. I am the only Hispanic in my division, and also happen to be the only one with a graduate degree. Some don't even have a degree

3. Most employers in most areas will no longer refuse a job due to the color of someone's skin.
You are very mistaken

4. A person who is a minority would not know if the person who employed them was racist or not, because of Affirmative Action.
Read #3

I think you are just going by what you hear. If a place has AA, it is not private. Therefore, records are public under FOIA. Most of those criticizing AA are mere racists that can't back their arguments with numbers.

Answer 5

Work is meant for the benifit of the human being, not the other way around. While the best person should be selected for every job, we also need to ensure that everyone is taken care of. Affirmative action is the easy way out to bigger problems and does not act as a panacea to the ails of unemployment, sexism, and racism. We need to focus on actually solving these issues instead of compounding them.

Answer 6

Affirmative action should be called reverse discrimination . By the year 2050 less than half of all American citizens ( legal) , will be of caucasion descent . It is not right that a white teen and a black teen can come from the same neighborhood , have the same income , and when it comes time to go to college. The black teen receives a loan to go and the white teen is told that he is just out of luck !!! It is time to end reverse racism before our entire society crumbles around us

Answer 7

What are the benefits? Looks like you're trying to correct institutional racial discrimination with institutional racial discrimination. Where's the progress.

It is demeaning to the favored group. Because everyone knows who that is. So you are left to wonder is that person doing the job because they are really qualified or because they are in a protected group. It is most harmful to the qualified people within the protected group, because their accomplishment is discounted.

Answer 8

Frakas, this is one of the toughest decisions that I will make this election, it has come up for vote here in Michigan and I have been wavering back and forth on it.
On one side I say that people of color have been discriminated against as I have seen it in my lifetime. I still see it. Not as blatant, quite subtle, there are still pockets of discrimination that is blatant. However, a large chunk of it has been eliminated as you say.

On the other side I see that good people of no color are being turned down for good jobs because there are people of color available that have similar credentials but are hired because they are people of color. This discrimination is just as bad, or maybe worse, as I am white. Trying to be fair in this decision is going to be hard to do. Do I go with my heart or do I go with my head on this one? Another question that I have is, will it revert to the discrimination that it was before, if we let our guard down? There are other things in this decision but I won't go on. This is something that will go down to the wire with me. I will be Proing and coning right up until I mark my ballot. The good news most of the other initiatives I have settled in my mind how I feel.

Edit: Thanks for the question, after reading the answers down to mine, most of them intelligent answers I still don't know, the guy above me and the macine shop owner are the two best at explaining both sides. They both have valad arguments, yep this one is going down to the wire for me.

Answer 9

Being against a program that is so racially biased does not make you a racist. There are many politicians that are for this outdated program, most of them are themselves minorities. This program goes against the civil right amendment. The racists are the ones that support a program such as this. Condoleeza Rice is one of them. This issue alone will never get her my vote.

Answer 10

1. Wealthy Americans being hired because their "daddies" know the owner, and nothing is said about how they qualified? 2. Getting picked because one of your family members works in the business. 3. The stupid assumption that if a minority gets the job, that he or she is worried that they didn't get it because of their qualifications. 4. If you think I am going to be worried if I got the job because I didn't know how I got it, you are living in another country. As long as I get the job, I am keeping it, no matter who likes it or not.