Affirmative action remains a hot topic today, one of much interest and controversy. Affirmative action has been perceived to give special treatment to qualified minorities and historically discriminated groups, while being unfair to those who are not a minority. Indeed, affirmative action was instituted as a corrective measure to the past discriminations of minorities and women and to help these groups succeed in moving up the social ladder. In a sense, affirmative action is a policy that gives minorities a head start on a race that they are in many ways destined to lose because of the historical burdens they bear on their backs. Due to the controversy surrounding affirmative action laws and policies, those who support it and those who oppose it have long been facing off in a battle where each side holds their views as just and proper. However, looking at the changes that have come about in the last few decades in educational institutions and work places, where diversity is apparent, shows that affirmative action, hand in hand with the Civil Rights Acts, has been a success. Although many people have a long list of things to say against it, there still remains a very palpable need for affirmative action. Even today, the gap between the majority and minority groups remains a subject of concern in many professions, work places, and educational institutions.
The fight against affirmative action is headed by people who declare that it has been ineffective in solving the real issues. They maintain that instead of giving a chance of social mobility to the economically disadvantaged minorities, affirmative action has been a way for many well off minorities to get into the colleges and professions of their desire. The opponents of affirmative action believe that setting right the years of discrimination that was faced by minorities has not been accomplished through the affirmative action policies. Many minorities are still subject to their substandard lifestyles because of the fact that affirmative action does not consider the economically well off minorities as a separate and independent group that does not need the helping hand provided by affirmative action. Although the policies of affirmative action were meant as a corrective measure to help heal the past discrimination and inequality between races, it has ended up creating opposing views and tense discussions between people who adamantly support or oppose affirmative action.
On the other hand, support for affirmative action is much more justified even though some undeserving minorities get the help of affirmative action policies. Affirmative action has been a successful policy for many reasons. Affirmative action provides a series of steps through which qualified candidates who are minorities get an opportunity in schools and work places. In higher education, distinct professions and work places, where minorities and women were historically discriminated and barred from entering, they were finally given a chance as a result of affirmative action. They are able to prove to themselves and the world that they are just as good as anyone. It is evident through numbers that affirmative action has had a positive effect. Comparing the numbers of minorities enrolled in educational institutions and working in different professions before affirmative action laws with the numbers after, shows the increase of minorities’ presence in many different places. Affirmative action has been a very positive and successful attempt and it needs to be kept in place because we are a long way from being a country where equal opportunity and chances are given to everyone. Since education is the door to opportunity, providing minorities with a chance to get a good education through affirmative action is the means to insuring their better future.
Affirmative action laws have not only led to the increased enrollment of minorities in educational institutions, they have done something more. They have increased diversity on campuses all over the country. In colleges and universities across the nation, people with diverse racial and ethnic background learn from and about each other through different events, discussions and interactions. For many it is the first time that they come across people who are different from them in more ways than one. This sort of learning and interaction across distinct groups of people has been possible because of policies such as affirmative action. With affirmative action, minorities and women have been given a chance and an opportunity, opening up the doors to a whole new world for them.
In short, affirmative action has proven itself to be a very successful endeavor to correcting the inequalities of our society. Although affirmative action has its flaws, its positive effects more than outweigh its negative. Affirmative action has been the means of social mobility for many since its implementation. It has made it possible to be a minority and succeed, no matter the background you come from and the burdens that you bear on your back.
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Note: I will admit that this was my favorite paper and topic, but the worst grade I got in this class was for this one, there are loopholes in the paper, and some stuff that needs to be corrected. But after I got that grade (a B-), I didn't want to work and fix it because I had thought this was a decent paper but I agreed with most of the comments that professor made on the paper.
Why not just help people that are poor?
Most of the poor are minorities so the effect of the policy would be the same in that it would help to lift up those people. Minorities would be the main beneficiaries just as they are under the current system.
But it would also cure the problem of not helping minorities who had already made it economically and were just taking unfair advantage of the racial preference just because they can.
And it would remove the stigma of this policy which makes it so hateful to those of us who oppose it. Despite the intent, as Affirmative Action stands now it is just government sponsored racism. If people in America really want racism to go away then we should eliminate any and ALL policies that are racist.
As promised in the 14th Amendment all Americans should be treated EQUALLY under the law. We need to get rid of this disgusting Orwellian Animal Farm formulation where all of us are equal but some of us are more equal under the law than others.
Why is a poor white kid from a poor disadvantaged family any less deserving of government aid then a black kid in similar economic circumstances. The government should treat these people equally.
Say no to racism! Economic means testing should replace skin color as the measure of which people get special advantages from the government. Let's make Martin Luther's Dream come true and quit treating people differently because of their skin color.
I did say there are loopholes in this paper and this was the biggest one and people always tell me about how it's more economic and not just social and racial.
I don't think I am completely convinced but the points are noted in my head.
"No, not rich. I am a poor man with money, which is not the same thing." - Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera Fudge "It's the hard-knock life..."