Is this the type of thought that makes 'Affirmtive Action' necessary?

Question

This is a cut a paste from another YA user discussing AA:


You have a point, but what about the people who cant be hired because they don't fit into the "ethnic hire" category? Don't to think this is discrimination as well?
For example: under affirmative action, there must be a certain percentage of "ethnic" interviews and hires in order to satisfy EOE guidelines. If a person is hired just to fill the "ethnic hire" quota, and the person out in the hall applying for the position who may be better qualified, is turned away because he isn't considered "ethnic", the company loses a great opportunity to make that hire, but cant because they are forced to meet a quota.
You mentioned in your question, first part: "employers DON'T always hire people for merits" Well, you are exactly right because affirmative action forces them to make a quota hire, not always the best hire.

(more to follow)

Affirmative action, while designed to help certain ethnic "minorities", also affects negatively companies and individuals who are best suited to pair.
Also, what about areas, cities, demographical locations where the "white, anglo-saxon" isn't the majority? Are they able to take advantage of affirmative action? No. Affirmative action is a practice, while designed with good intentions 30 years ago, is out of date and has served it purpose.
If a company isn't allowed to hire the best qualified individual for the job because of some political interruption, then th USA will continue to flounder (see deficit figures here, as well as outsourcing figures, cause and effect)

This persona essentially said that America is floundering because Affirmative Action has allowed minorities to participate; and that when minorities are hired due to quotas they are never qualified to fit the positions.

This is why AA is necessary.

The title sentence is formatted as a question, which is followed by the supporting text, although long :).

Answer 1

Yeah, I'm with the first chic, what's the question, whether we agree or not? I just don't understand how it can be satisfying to get into a college or a place of employment if you know there's a chance the decision wasn't based on your merits. I understand that the logic behind this is all very good. But it sounds like this person is saying "aa" is no longer necessary, so are you saying that this person is the reason we still need it or are you agreeing? I'm a little confused.

Answer 2

"This persona essentially said that America is floundering because Affirmative Action has allowed minorities to participate; and that when minorities are hired due to quotas they are never qualified to fit the positions."

That is not what I read from that text, I think you got it wrong. That person only points out that if there is a quota then people are not always being hired for their merits but for their color. There are often qualified individuals of minority groups who really are the best candidate, but when they are not the best candidate they must be hired anyway to fill a quota, so another person gets rejected because although they were the most qualified, they were the wrong color, and companies have to accept that they don't always get to hire the best candidate if no highly qualified minority group member applied.

Affirmative Action was a good thing back in the days and it has served its purpose of giving minority groups opportunities, but I think it's out of date now. I think people should always be hired for their skills, not their color or gender or other quota reasons. It's not fair to reject someone for their race or gender, no matter which race/gender they are.

In my country there has been a discussion about putting a quota to improve women's position on the job market, but although I am a woman myself I am against that. The most qualified candidate should always be hired and gender and race shouldn't matter. They should make strict laws that say the most qualified candidate must be hired regardless of race, gender etc. and if that law isn't followed they can expect lawsuits. Rejecting someone for things they have no control over like race and gender is just not fair, it is discrimination.

Answer 3

I fail to understand why we are making such a big deal over the melanin content of somebody's skin. You should be judged over your individual merits . . . nothing more, nothing less.

Case in point; if a Caucasian American married an African American, and together they produced offspring, what "group" would they be assigned to? Most people would say "African American" so my question is: when Affirmative Action is involved, do you "round up?" It's utterly ridiculous that we are still having conversations like this in the year 2007.

Answer 4

Yes.

Answer 5

Yes I agree, but how is this a question?

Answer 6

i think a.a. is insulting. it infers that minorities are too stupid to get a job on their own merit.