Essay Against Affirmative Action

Critics of affirmative action call it ‘reverse discrimination’. This term is misleading because discrimination involves prejudice, inaccurate stereotypes and the assumptions that certain groups are inferior and deserve to be treated unequally. Affirmative action programs that may have worked to the disadvantage of white males did not do so because they were biased against white men and believe that they are inferior and deserving to be treated as lower beings. Corporate America is still disproportionally white and male. White men are still getting the best jobs and the highest pay even though it represents less than half the work force. As long as that is the case, we will need affirmative action to ensure that all of us enjoy a chance to achieve whatever success we envision for ourselves.

In the controversial realms of affirmative action, the largest issue staunchly fought over is whether minorities should be given preferential treatment in the workplace and in the schools. One side declares that those in the minority group need and deserve governmental aid so that they will be on equal footing with the majority group. Opponents of affirmative action point out that setting apart groups based on their race or ethnicity is purely racism and can lead to reverse discrimination. I am against affirmative action for the aforementioned reasons, and would not consider such racism as necessary for creating a healthy society, as proponents would insist. It is my belief that affirmative action today is out of date and is

Affirmative action was created to assist minority groups against discrimination, but affirmative action does more harm than what it can do to help. Affirmative action was created with the intention of leveling the playing field so that everyone can have an equal opportunity to be hired or accepted in to a school, but it does the opposite of what it is meant to do. Affirmative action is reverse discrimination against white males, lesser qualified people are admitted into jobs and colleges, and not all people have an equal opportunity to advance.

The revered civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” In other words, don’t discriminate people because of their race. This should hold true in all aspects of life. Every American deserves an equal opportunity to succeed, which is why affirmative action is inherently racist. Affirmative action refers to various government policies that aim to increase the proportion of minorities and women in jobs and educational institutions historically dominated by white men. The policies usually require employers and institutions to set goals for hiring or admitting minorities. It is responsible for colleges discriminating against Eastern Asians and whites and for employers hiring workers based off of skin color rather than skills or experience. People can’t change their race (except for former president of the Spokane N.A.A.C.P. chapter, Rachel Dolezal, apparently), yet many colleges and employers favor certain races over others by using quotas, or a fixed number of people of each race.

According to Newman, affirmative action is a “program designed to seek out members of minority groups for positions from which they had previously been excluded, thereby seeking to overcome some institutional racism” (Newman, 536). Affirmative action made its debut with a piece of legislature passed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and continues to this day. However, the concept of affirmative action is a controversial issue that continues to be hotly debated.

     Affirmative action is also taking the focus off the individual. That is why Florida governor, Jeb Bush, has banned race and gender preference with his “One Florida” plan which will end affirmative action. The plan also guarantees that every student within the top 20% is guaranteed admission into college.

Affirmative action in higher education should be abolished. College admissions should be based on what the admissions board is looking for, not what the government says should be required. In this paper, I will present evidence to support that position.

The questionable existence of affirmative action continues to create a pervasive tug of war between proponents and opponents of affirmative action. The cornerstone of affirmative action policies initiated from the U.S. Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education, in which the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was unequal—ultimately forever changing the system of education in America. This groundbreaking decision served as a gateway, with the goal of “leveling the playing field” and remedying the grotesque American past rooted in harsh racial discrimination against non-white individuals, primarily of African American descent. As a result of swift implementation of affirmative action policies, cultural and racial diversity quickly diversified

    Imaging being a young, black, grad-student, fresh out of law-school, looking for a job. You find and apply for the career of your dreams, only to find later that you didn't get the job. Petitioning the employer for an explanation, you find that you weren't hired due to the color of your skin. Wouldn't this enrage you? Would you cry "discrimination", and take the employer to court? Many people would sympathize with you and grant you the decision in the court case. Discrimination like that has no place in today's society. Now imagine the exact same scenario, only instead of being black, you're white. You find and apply for the career of your dreams, only to find later that you

Many critics of affirmative action believe it has failed to achieve its stated goal of equal employment opportunity. A few even believe that it has done more harm than good. A review of the statistics, however, shows

Affirmative Action has been an issue of contention since its inception during the Civil Rights struggles of mid 20th century America. Discrimination could no longer be tolerated and the Unites States government had an obligation to encourage equality at all levels of the social infrastructure. The main type of discrimination being addressed by Affirmative Action programs was racial discrimination. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines racism as: ‘a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.’ The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination of any kind, laid the foundation for the introduction of Affirmative Action

Today, affirmative action is trying to treat people equally by unequally treating others to solve the problem when in fact creating more problems. The synonyms for the term “affirmative action” is anti-discrimination, equals right policy, and fair treatment. However, does the term live up to its true meaning of equal opportunities? Affirmative action has been a controversial topic ever since President Johnson issued the Executive Order in 1965. As stated, the order would increase the numbers of minorities in jobs and schools nationwide. As a minority myself, I do not think the policy longer applies to today’s jobs and education systems, but instead does the complete opposite. Others will say, “the third fallacy is, affirmative action does not

Affirmative action is actually dividing the country into two different racial categories: all minorities against the majority. This causes severe resentment towards those minorities who are less qualified yet are preferred because they feel sympathy or pity towards them. When trying to apply and qualify for scholarships an applicant will find that the majority of the scholarships are for minority or specific race only descendants. This disqualifies everyone who needs the scholarship, but was not born under a certain type of ancestry.

Imagine this, you are a 4.0 average student who finally graduated high school and is looking on to Harvard. You sent in your application positive of your spot. Then it comes. They denied you. The only explanation you have is that they replaced you with another student. One that got through with a race program. That is affirmative action at work, ruining young adult’s lives. Affirmative action is a policy favoring the minority and those who tend to suffer from discrimination. Genuinely is affirmative action appropriate for modern day civilization? The answer is no. The government should no longer use Affirmative action for college admissions. It creates excess diversity in the community, it is

Affirmative action supporters make one large assumption when defending the policy. They assume that minority groups want help. This, however, may not always be the case. They fought to attain equality, not special treatment. To some of them, the acceptance of special treatment is an admittance of inferiority. Some would include me. I believe I can become successful on my own. I don’t need laws to help me get a great job. I along with many others who are against affirmative action want to be treated as equals, not as incompetent. Although discrimination is not placed in a well-distant past, affirmative action is an unneeded and drastic remedy for today’s world (Farron, Steven, 2005)