Does Everyone in the US have the Same Equal Opportunity?

Question

white, black, male, female, native indian... everyone?

In your opinion>

we were doing so well captainobvious, you managed to work in an insult to what you call "liberals".

how much does access TO the opportunity matter?

Answer 1

No. Anyone who tells you otherwise lives in a bubble or is blinded by racism.

There are many people who work very hard and are not rewarded. There are people who do nothing who advance quickly based on who they know. You will be rewarded in life according to how well you are favored by those who have power over you. We do not live in a pure meritocracy. If we did, would a C-student, former frat boy, drunk-until-age-40, ex-male cheerleader currently be our President?

Women on average still earn less money than men for the same job. Just because laws don't explicitly forbid certain things, that does mean everyone has equal opportunity. For example, the Constitution doesn't say that only white men can be President, but only white men have ever actually been President. Women couldn't even vote until the early twentieth century.

Today gay people do not have equal opportunity to marriage and the associated tax benefits.

If everyone had equal opportunity in the USA, 90% of the wealth would not be controlled by less than 10% of the population.

I am a heterosexual white male.

Answer 2

No, it is pretty obvious that people do not have equal opportunities.

To start with, if you're born into a higher socio-economic class, you'll have more opportunities than if born into a lower socio-economic class. This should be rather obvious.

If you're born into a high achievement, mutually supportive culture, like an Oriental culture, which values industry and learning, you'll have more opportunities.

But just because not everyone has the same opportunities doesn't mean people have no opportunities. Even the poorest people in the US have the opportunity to attend school and become educated. But that requires making the most of one's opportunities.

Sitting around, whining that rich people have more and better opportunities will get you nowhere fast.

Answer 3

Yes. Opportunity, however, depends on other things to make it whole. Yeah, in order to view the points of opportunity, you do have to get up and find it. Some people don't even try to look for it, so it will never come to them. It's there, all right, but it won't come until it is called.

Answer 4

No. I work for a university, and I recently hired an assistant. I had applicants - a Native Alaskan, a black girl, and a white girl. If I had eliminated either of the minorities, I would have had to write a letter of explanation. I could have eliminated the white girl with no explanation. That's not very equal in my mind.

Several years ago, I was attending school in Santa Barbara, California. I signed up for a freshman-level English class, and I was 7th on the wait list. I was delighted when the prof said that she was letting 10 people in from the wait list.....until she told me that I wasn't going to be one of them. The section was "geared towards minorities" (big surprise to me, as there was no indication of this in the schedule, nor did anyone at registration tell me). Basically, I was punished for being white. Nice.

In Michigan right now (I think it's Michigan) they are trying to do away with affirmative action as it is applied to college admissions - as it stands, a minority automatically has more chance of getting in than a white person. How is that fair?

I DO think that America is still the land of opportunity and that just about anyone who is willing to work hard can "make it".

(The links below are to articles talking about AA and Michagan schools - interesting reading, if you haven't heard about it yet)

Answer 5

I don't think so and women who are in these racial groups are still being discriminated against in the clergy, certain college professions and employment opportunities. Nurses still do not get a fair break or pay. Educational grants are few and far in between. Men that teach Math still try to confuse females in high schools and colleges. Freudian thought that women are lesser beings by reason of their gender is still prevalent.

Institutionalized racism/sexism still prevail and the glass ceiling is still there.This is 2006 and women still earn far less than men. White females seem to fair a little better, but never the less are unappreciative and forget that it was and still is women of color that fought for change and have yet to help women of color realize those same dreams.

Answer 6

Well, kind of. The biggest thing I think that contributes to the diminished chance of making it in my opinion is home life. You learn how to live from your parents. If some one comes from house hold that only lives paycheck to paycheck, these kids might not ever learn about retirement plans and investments. Sure they might hear about it in school but that is nothing compared to seeing it in practicality.

One thing that always drives me up a wall is a parent who tells their kid that there is no need to learn something or tells their kids that thre is no use in trying because someone will always put them down. That is just training a kid to fail in my opinon. And I have heards parents from all walks tell their kids this. So a kid from this type of houshold will hae a hard time breaking out of that thought process. I say it is more how you are raise to think about the economy than actual race.

Answer 7

no; but its not white black male female native indian its; hard working and intelligence. If you can create something or work hard you can achieve anything. but if you cant then you are destined for mediocrity or less. Social classes are natural. I know thats hard for a liberal to grasp but its fact.

its the liberal agenda that wants equality, fairness no matter what. thats not an insult its what you want and the fact is its a pipe dream so....

Answer 8

In addition to racism, bigotry, and sexism that are alive and well in the USA, I think that poor people of America do not have equal opportunity. It is ridiculous to suggest that there is a level playing field for a poor student who literally has to dodge bullets to get to school, versus the affluent student who goes to a private school, receives individual tuturing, enrolls in commercial test preparation courses, and who has opportunities to travel.

Don't think there is racism? How soon we forget about the case of Texaco executives and their taped racial slurs and the discussion of destroying evidence related to a racial bias lawsuit. This is the same Texaco that hypocritically shows an orientation video to new employees touting its diverse workforce. This is just one example of many.

Answer 9

I think the Skull&Bones all have a closely equal oppertunity.

As for the average American wage slave. There are regional differences. The South still has it's issues. Other areas struggle with traditional nationalism issues or male female.

Bottom line the oppertunitys exists but you may need to move to LA to find it.

Go big Red Go

Answer 10

Yes, but many people squander their opportunities; and blame discrimination for their problems and lack of success.

Education is the key to success in the US, and everyone has the opportunity to obtain it. If one fails to do so, and fails in life. It is not the "system" that keeps one down, it is oneself.