Is Affirmative Action Neccesary Anymore?

Question

In our time right now, is it useful or just more harmful?

Answer 1

The answer is that it is harmful and is promoted by people who have a specific agenda to help a specific group. Those who promote it are usually just as racist as they accuse society of being (if not more). They are loose with their logic and facts, and are totally dishonest with the debate, and I will show it.

If you look at the comments of people on this page who are for affirmative action, you will see how they have little logic.

For example, cantcu can't even do math, let alone reason about this difficult issue. She states:
"We have almost 112 million americans, of 132 million, earning $100,000 a year or less and most of them earn below $30,000! 24,000 people make the top 1% of over 1 million!!!".

Wow, pretty good math there. The US actually has ~300million people. Even if I accept your numbers, 132 million Americans - 112 million not earning over $100,000 a year = 20 million who are earning >$100k, not 24,000.

Forget the numbers, even the logic is stupid. If you have 300,000,000 Americans, 3,000,000 must earn in the top 1%. It's just math. 1% of 300Million = 3Million.

She also states that Affirmative Action is fair "As long as universities maintain the good ole' boy network that says if you are a rich alumni and donate, we'll give your kid a seat at Duke Law, or fill in the blank".

These are called "Legacy Admissions", and they are also an unfair form of affirmative action that exists in some PRIVATE schools. It is unfair, just like AA is unfair, because it gives you benefits according to something other than merit. But just because some PRIVATE schools do it, does not mean that PUBLIC schools should now have AA. Private schools are just that, private, and can make whatever stupid rule they want, even if it is unfair like legacy admissions. I'm not convinced that because some unfair discrimination exists in a private school, we have justification to discriminate in a public university.

Joey02714 then chimes in with "It is not true that people who do not have the necessary qualifications have taken college places and jobs from others. Believe me, anyone can get into college!".

The first part of your point seems to imply that AA placements are just as qualified as merit placements. Then why the need for the extra benefit? Studies have shown that AA placements have SAT scors 300 points lower than a merit placement, and dropout rates have shown that AA placements are not as qualified.

The scond part of your point is that "anyone can get into college". Then why have AA in the first place? Oh, you mean any white person can get into college somewhere else when he or she is displaced from their school of choice in favor of a AA placement? If I want to get into a prestigious school, and that seat is given to a less qualified person based on their group identity, then I as an individual have been wronged, even if I can get into a lesser school elsewhere. This is a totally dishonest argument.

To settle this debate, you must understand that we can never create a world where group identity and race is irrelevant if we build a system on group identity and race. Affirmative Action only encourages us to not assimilate, to not be an American, but a hyphenated American. It is racist to its core and wrong.

Some questions for people in favor of Affirmative Action:
1) How do we classify mixed race people? Do you need 1 minority parent? One minority grandparent? A drop of minority blood? What happens as the races continue to mix and the lines blur?

2) How do we quantify who gets what benefit? Surely a inner-city black youth has had a tougher life than a middle class woman. How do we decide how much benefit each gets?

Answer 2

This is about the 900th time this has been asked!

Yes we do!!

As long as the rich get rich-affirmative action guaranteed seats in places like Yale, and Harvard Business keeps admitting C- rich kids from Yale, we need it!!! Right George?

As long as universities maintain the good ole' boy network that says if you are a rich alumni and donate, we'll give your kid a seat at Duke Law, or fill in the blank.

And then there is all those seats saved for in-state students, another affirmative action program! These are not only state schools either! Try and get into one of those!

The playing field IS NOT LEVEL and yes we need Affirmative Action! Now more than ever. We have almost 112 million americans, of 132 million, earning $100,000 a year or less and most of them earn below $30,000! 24,000 people make the top 1% of over 1 million.

Take away the rich's Affirmative Action FIRST!

Answer 3

I believe that it is absolutely necessary! One only needs to read some of the questions and answers on Y!A to see how much racism and prejudice still exists in this country. The improper spin that many people put on AA is the cause of the backlash.

White men in the US have always had a form of affirmative action. (If you doubt this, ask how George W. Bush got into Yale. The answer: because his father went there. It was not based on merit.) To counteract this form of preference-based choice by colleges and universities, by corporations, etc. it is necessary to have some sort of plan that will include the otherwise disenfranchised.

It is not true that people who do not have the necessary qualifications have taken college places and jobs from others. Believe me, anyone can get into college! And you never really know why you haven't been hired. It may look as if the job went to someone less qualified, but hiring managers have their own criteria...and we just have to get used to that.

Answer 4

Honestly, you're an idiot. White people have always had affirmative action for themselves---it's called "legacy preferences". Meaning any white person whose ancestors financed and helped to built up certain colleges were more likely to get their foot in the door because they were the great-grandkid/nephew/niece. How is Obama not qualified? He's still President, despite your BS claims. Also, where your proof that AA placed unqualified people of color in positions and not due to their work? AA opponents always claim that BS, yet they never seen to have any actual evidence to back that up,other than BS rumors.. Hell, white folks have been getting jobs they're unqualified for for years based on who they know,not always what they can do. So quit making up stuff and do some real research.

Answer 5

No.

Especially with regard to college admissions. On a top campus, if one sees a black student, however bright, one wonders if he "checked the box" and was admitted ahead of a white or Asian student with higher SATs, grades, and all overall qualifications.

Regarding business. I was a mid level manger at an airline with 90,000 employees. They did employ preferential treatment with regard to hiring and promotion in managerial ranks. I've witnessed five, and all five men and women have fallen short. Each was promoted ahead of a clearly more qualified Asian, white, or non-black candidate. One was asked to resign, one was fired for theft, and the remaining three were gently moved to other positions with as much face saving as possible.

Now, I run a small hedge fund, and I hire people based upon merit. Period. I detest bigotry, and affirmative action is counter productive to the spirit in which it was designed. Meaning, it creates resentment and questioning. "Did that person earn the promotion or admission?"

Answer 6

Affirmative Action is for losers. It is also violative of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution even under a "reasonable means" test in my view.

Answer 7

Affirmative Action is racist and sexist by nature. Very harmful.

Answer 8

I agree that it is kind of a slap in the face to minorities, not to mention a hurt to some white prospective employees/college students. But it is also politically correct, and it gets politicians vote. So let us not dare stand in their way-haha.

Answer 9

It is doing far more harm than good, including (maybe especially) to those it is supposed to help.

Answer 10

I think its a disgrace to be told you aren't smart enough but you are black, so we'll use that to advance you. Talk about racist. But remember color isn't suppose to matter just what is on the inside.