Why do some whites say Affirmative action hurts them?

Question

Researchers at the "Journal of Blacks in Higher Education" found that if race-neutral policies were in effect at the most selective schools, the chances of a white student being accepted would rise from 25 percent to 26.5 percent—a statistically insignificant change. This means more than 98 percent of the white students who were rejected from these elite institutions would still be rejected.

America has a long history of institutional White supremacism, going back 400 years, that pervades every aspect of our country - the government, education, business, housing ect.

And ALL White people benefit from it - even the poorest Whites.

Poor Whites are far less likely to be arrested than poor Blacks or Latinos, even though the White poor commit just as much crime as the minority poor (or more if you include crank/crystal meth/methamphetamine related crimes - the White poor have a monopoly on that!)

AFFIRMATIVE PROTECTS WOMEN, THE DISABLED AND VETERANS TOO! NOT JUST RACES!

Poor Whites also have job opportunities that poor Blacks and Latinos don't, due to family connections and the fact that most businesses are White owned and White bosses prefer to hire White workers whenever and wherever possible.

Class based affirmative action is nonsense, since it ignores the realilty of the White economic privilige that even the poorest of Whites enjoy.

Answer 1

I agree 10000000000000000000000000000 percent!

I'm not lazy Peaches! I'm a teenager who would like to focus on her schoolwork so I can get into Harvard.

Answer 2

First lets be honest. Poor whites typically DONT have connections. Poor people are usually poor cause they don;t have connections you dream of.

Some rich black people do have connections. Case in point, who would have better connections for a military job, Colin's powel's daughter or you or me?

Affirmative action might be necessary in the short term, but it involves people getting hired for reasons other than merit. I say this having been beaten by minorites IN FAIR competion for a job before. Nobody is unhappy is they have a fair shot.

Lastly do you want to be the token black or you want to be that really good candidate we just hired. Affirmative action takes away from the credibility of good black candidates and these DO exist.

Affirmative action is a band-aid solution. If it is applied it should only be done with a plan to phase it out. FAIR COMPANIES HIRING ON MERIT WELL EVENTUALLY BEAT OUT RACIST COMPANIES.

The white trash idea is racist as well. Genuine white poverty exists. Dont' assume its cos the people involved might be drug addicts or something. An economy that is based on capitalism tends to have few rich and many poor.

Answer 3

You hit the nail on the head when you blame "economics."
Yes, middle to upperclass privilege is associated with whites, but the real issue is class division based on socioeconomic standing.

This is the common culprit, not race or gender. Because minority groups tend to have lower socioeconomic status, the lack of equal political and financial resources is the reason for oppression by dominant interests. Corporate powers have figured out ways to bypass laws, while poor people without access to legal resources and courts to defend their rights, go without the same privilege.

As long as races are divided, this oppression continues.
The economic and political disparity must be addressed and corrected by unified action, and race cannot get in the way or else all people will continue to suffer from the same.

Note: Where I live in a low-income historic district overrun by corporate and city developers, residents and historic preservation advocates of ALL races, even white landowners, are politically blacklisted by those in power. They bank on the fact that the poor black and upper class white residents are not completely united so that the corruption can continue unchecked which harms rich and poor, black and white, Asian Hispanic, everyone. Those who manipulate based on corporate influence on government are allowed to run over the poor blacks in my Freedmen's Town neighborhood equally as they overrode the rich white population of the affluent Kingwood district when they annexed that independent area for taxation purposes.

The only way the corporate crooks got away with this is that the people were divided among race and culture, instead of uniting to defeat a common enemy using public pressure.

You are right that privilege is associated with white upperclass dominance. But race should not be used to further the divide, keeping groups divided, where all remain defeated. If all groups sympathize with their common plight, and unite to correct the problems, there will be more success in resolving these issues.

Answer 4

First of all-- I prefer the term, "Pigmentally Challenged" ...

And then to give my opinion-- as that's all it is, my opinion-- people say things like that because it doesn't matter to them if the 'person of color' has a better resume than they do, they wanted that job. But, if it weren't for affirmative action, then those people probably would have gotten the job, regardless of resume or ability, so affirmative action is a good thing, as far as I'm concerned. If someone 'of color' has better qualifications than I do, then they SHOULD get the job-- and I say this speaking as a "poor white person".

And, if I may say so, I got arrested just as much as anyone else of 'color' for the crap I tried to pull when I was younger. I did my share of drugs, and I quit using them when I chose to; now, the only drugs I use are my medications for the five mental illnesses that stigmatize my mind-- that is to say, the crazy don't know they're crazy. I only saw myself from the outside after I began therapy treatments and my regiment of medications. I suppose what I'm getting at is... at some point, I may have fit into the category of 'Poor White' given in your question above, but as far as I'm concerned, I no longer do.

Answer 5

Affirmative Action is just a crutch, all it says to me is that whites males are superior and the other minorities just can't compete with us on a level playing field when it comes to getting into school or job placement. Isn't what Michigan just voted to do abolish affirmative action one step closer to equality, and isn't that what backs have wanted all along, equality. Thats why affirmative action hurts whites we get passed over for jobs so an unqualified minority can have a job they aren't qualified for .

Seriously why would you need it if you were as good as us?
Do you want a job because you deserve it or because you are a minority?

Answer 6

But not all whites are at the top of the heap. I think strictly race based programs should be abolished. Middle and upper class minorities don't need that kind of help, but poor whites do.

I don't understand how poor whites have an ECONOMIC advantage over anybody!

Answer 7

Affirmative action hurts the minorities greater by way of fact it supplies jobs to those who did not earn them. whilst they get a place by way of fact of affirmative action then they coach the international how unqualified they are. Any activity could pass to the main qualified. might you want a familiar practitioner working on you that could not pass the attempt? i want the familiar practitioner who scored the optimal and has the right checklist, in spite of if he/she is purple, purple and purple.

Answer 8

I think Affirmative Action creates more barriers between people and makes it look like they are in such unfortunate circumstances that we have to pity them. It's no use reminiscing over the past; everyone is equal and has the same opportunity to succeed: don't demand your rights, take them. I think blacks and women are on the exact same level as me; making these programs would just put more emphasis on our "differences." If they all want to be equal then they all have to work just as hard as us to perform and succeed (which I'm sure they can if they try). Peace.

Answer 9

It doesn't hurt me.Just because minorities need help to measure up makes them look bad not me.If they were intelligent enough to make it on their own we wouldn't have affirmative action.

Answer 10

Maybe because blacks get a free +230 SAT points and hispanics (the Mexican type) get +185???