Affirmative Action: Legalized racism?

Question

Why do so many otherwise intelligent people support the racist policy of affirmative action, even to the point of quotas? Quotas, like those used in affirmative action programs, are a means of apportioning rewards in employment and academic admissions, not on merit, but on other criteria such as skin color.

Martin Luther King asked to be judged NOT on skin color, but upon "content of character" (i.e. merit) instead. Proponents of affirmative action have apparently discarded Dr. King's advice.


The Supreme Court has repeatedly made clear that quotas are illegal, but that doesn't stop some people from demanding them. Why is it so difficult for some so-called "civil rights activists" to fight racism, without resorting to racism themselves?

Answer 1

Well if it wasnt for affirmative action then we wouldnt have the wonderful president we do now. :) He surely did not get into Yale based on his grades thats for damn sure!! So based on that very notion then yes I oppose affirmative action.
My other problem with affirmative action {here comes the part where I piss off a whole strew of people} is that I am white. Yep a plain ol' white girl. This sucked when I was in college. I made good grades but had a hell of a time getting any scholarships. I have a certain percentage of Native American in me but it would have taken forever to get the documentation to prove it.
I have always told my hubby if I ever won the lottery I would develop a scholarship program called "Plain ol' white folk" for people who are in the situation I was in. I figure if other scholarship programs can base thier grants on certain racial groups I could too. But hey if a white person does that its illegal or segregation right?

Answer 2

First of all, let me say this is a topic that hits home for me. For, while my application (grades, test scores, essays) technically did fall within what Cornell takes each year, I am confident that affirmative action played some part in my Early Decision acceptance to Cornell University. That being said, I oppose affirmative action on the basis that I believe we should all be judged on our accomplishments.

However, I am also realistic. For, I understand that we have not yet reached that point in which all is "fair and square." Just look at the photos from Hurricane Katrina and the living conditions of the mainly minority persons in them. Do you think that they have access to the same education that merits admission into the top colleges and universities? So, for the time being, as things are not fair and square, I do understand the need for affirmative action.

Also, I feel that many of those (mainly whites and asians) opposed to affirmative action in education are propelled by unconscious racism. After all, if affirmative action were not in place in cases of higher learning, I can almost guarantee you that in twenty years, when Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, are 99% Asian, that all those previously opposing it would be crying for the return of affirmative action.

(I do not mean to harm anyone with some of my words. I am just telling it as I see it to be)

Answer 3

Read this article, "Ten Myths About Affirmative Action," esp. under myths # 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 for the answers to your question:
http://www.understandingprejudice.org/readroom/articles/affirm.htm.

Answer 4

here we go again.

affirmative action gives companies the ability to say "these two people came from the same school, got the same grades, etc, but I'm going to choose Paula because we don't have other women in the office and as this is a women's health clinic, i think having a woman here might be nice for the customers"

however, AA is so confused and so used for this argument, that i became an opponent to it years ago. There's nothing worse than graduating with honors and being told you got somewhere because you're black.

Answer 5

Afirmative Action was put in place to HELP those that were adversely affected by racism & slavery. It was to help level the playing field for those who had no help at all.

But 1st, lets clear up a few things:
1. George Duh'bya was in no way shape or form helped out by AA. He was helped out by RDA (Rich Daddy Association) & nothing more. & thank you, that is a perfect example of the uneven field in the US. Before AA, there were no rich minorities (not just black, but Asian, Spanish etc.) in the US. He did not go to a major univ. on his own, but he got that paper saying he went! Dont you think that paper has helped him out in life? As well as having an influential political family? Blacks & other minorities during that time never had that or even the chance to have that.

Also, if you had problems getting scholarships, it was more likely due to the fact that you made too much money! What a horible problem. Granted, in the US, you dont have to make a ton of $ to be considered above poverty. But what about those that are poorer than you & black? Thats 3 strikes right there! (the extra 1 is b/c AA gives out additional. LOL) Being white, you have most of the game in the bag already. They have to also get loans that they must pay back after they get denied a job b/c they are black.

2. Martin Luther King, Jr. was refering to the fact that he could not eat in a restauraunt w/o being ordered to go to the back door, & eat your food in the kitchen because you are not good enough to be seen in public. He was talking about the fairness of being a human, not a pet. & there was no complaining about it. Now, if you go to a place & get bad service or treatment, you can call BBB, a lawyer or the police to help you. Blacks did not have that option! If they did that, they would be beaten by the cops & hanged. Have you ever faced that problem?

Blacks were put out of things because they were black. As a white person (along with your hostility), you will NEVER have the understanding needed to see how it feels to be looked at & have doors closed to you! Well, maybe you do, b/c you are saying that you have been denied a few perks in life. Maybe you do have the ability to begin to understand how it feels to be turned away b/c of your race. But one thing you dont carry with you is the threat that your color brings to you. You wont always be automatically a drug dealer or addict, a deadbeat dad, in the criminal system, or in a gang. But dont you belong to the most powerful gang on Earth? The white race. Which time after time, has shown that they will not stop for anything or anyone until they own it all? Ever wonder why the president & senate spend hundreds of millions to get a job that pays $100k? It is about control & $.

How do you correct an injustice that has gone on for a couple hundred yrs? & that still goes on to this day! If it had been illegal for you or any of your ancestors to be able to read a street sign, & one day the oppressors tell you, go, you're free! Will you be able to adapt & live life? No! If your only experience was to be a slave, & you are not human, how do you change that over night? Do you simply walk off the plantation one day & say I think "I will look in the paper & get a good office job."? Things need to be put in place for that adaptation

I know you dont think it is fair for someone you think is not as good as you to have equal footing & the chance to show you up & they can do it. But the field is STARTING to become even. That is why there are scholarships set aside for people who need them. B/c there are so many who just by the color of skin, have a natural edge over all others. & they have forums like this to speak out about how unfair it is to treat others, who are not them, fairly.

Answer 6

Until we are judged by merits alone, we need Affirmative Action. Since you are definitely not a minority, its fine to feel the way you do. Nothing's holding you back...

Answer 7

i think that AA replaced into first instituted to counteract the racidm that replaced into prevenent in the previous. The police , firerescue, and different departments have been controlled by employing a "good ole boys community" which did no longer incorporate minorities. AA for that reason compelled them to allow minorities into those jobs. In a appropriate worldwide everybody could have equivalent oppertunity and could be employed for being the main suitable qualified no longer on ethnic quotas, yet we don't stay in a appropriate worldwide and AA replaced right into a therapy to a issue that replaced into created by employing the employer of racism in society. issues have replaced on condition that AA replaced into adapted as a coverage and that i think that it incredibly is going to possibly be phased out with the aid of fact it has complete distinctive its aims . nonetheless this is discriminatory in nature and creates distinctive resentment.

Answer 8

althought mlk wanted people to be judge by their characters, it wasnt happening and it's still not happening. There have been times when i was a temp and was always on time and had high scores versus another female who was caucasian and missed numerous days and she was hired on before me. although we dont see racism it is still here just look at some of the questions here.

Answer 9

Sometimes you have to tip the scale to the other extreme to get people to see what the problem was to being with.

What, you don't like the thought of a group you don't belong to being on top? Funny, that.

Answer 10

I am tired of white people trying to use the words of Dr. King against black people. Who was King talking about?

King said that he had a dream that one day his son (his black son) and his daughter (his black daughter) would grow up in a world where "they" (his black son and black daughter) would be judged by the context of "their" character and not the color of "their" skin.

King was talking about a world where black people were judged by the color of our skin and he used his son and daughter as a representation of black people.

He was telling White people to judge black people the same way they already judge other whites; by the context of our Character.

And by the way, White women are the biggest receivers of affirmative action by far.