J. F Kennedy's Arguments Against Affirmative Action

Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States of America was best known for his acting career before entering the political arena. Reagan’s great public speaking skills, wonderful sense of humor, and little to no experience in politics landed him the highest position in government in the United States of America. He was empowered by his supporter and doubted by skeptics like any ordinary president. Through it all, history and facts regard him as one of the most effective and accomplished Presidents of all times. As a matter of fact, leaving office in 1989, Reagan held a high approval rating leaving him, as one of the highest rated departed presidents in modern time. Unarguably, based on results, Reagan provided equal opportunities

Affirmative Action is one of the many social issues facing America today. Affirmative action was signed into place in 1961 by President Kennedy and allows minority groups or people who face discrimination to become employed or get an education that is equal to that of a white male. Groups that Affirmative Action aims to help are women, blacks, Latinos, and people with disabilities. While these policies were signed to slowly rid the workforce and schools from discrimination, it hurts people who do not face discrimination, specifically whites. Many white men and women lose special opportunities to work or go to college because of certain standards that the Affirmative Action laws require. Universities and the military require a certain number of minorities in order to meet the standards and have a more diverse atmosphere. An example of this is the California V. Bakke supreme court case of 1978.

Affirmative action policies have been in place since 1957 (Rubio 144). Presidents Kennedy and Johnson signed executive orders in 1961 and 1964, respectively, requiring government agencies and their contractors to take 'affirmative' steps to ensure minority participation. Johnson's order was modified two years later to include women. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discriminatory hiring, promotion, and retention practices in both the private and public sectors, and established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

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 was an outcome of the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s. In the past, affirmative action has been used to improve opportunities with education and employment for excluded minority groups in American society President Kennedy was the first to use this term “in an Executive order that directed government contractors to take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin” (Affirmative Action, 2014).

July 6, 1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson signs The Civil Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination and mentions the use of “affirmative action to overcome the effects of prior discrimination.”

Affirmative Action began in 1965 when President Johnson signed the Executive Order 11246 in to law. The Executive Order prevents federal contractors from discriminating against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The phrase “affirmative action” was first coined, when federal contractors were required to take affirmative action to ensure that applicants were not discriminated against in anyway. When affirmative action was created, it only included minorities. In 1967, Johnson decided to expand the program to include women because women were discriminated against much like minorities. In the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, affirmative action was a method used to stop

Affirmative action has been around for decades. Some believe it isn’t fair but others do. Those who believe and agree with affirmative action tend to say, “The principle of affirmative action is to promote societal equality through the preferential treatment of socioeconomically disadvantaged people” (Bidmead, Andrew pg 3). Others that disagree with it and find it unfair simply see it as another form of discrimination, giving one group extra advantages based upon nothing but their skin color (Cline, Austin pg 1). I believe that affirmative action is indeed fair because it gives minorities a better chance at having a successful career in their near future.

The history of how Affirmative Action came to is very simple. President John Kennedy issued executive order 10925 in 1961. This created the Committee on Equal Employment and ordered that federally funded projects to take “affirmative action”. This is

The Affirmative Action Act was created to ensure that minority groups and women were given the same opportunities in education and employment that were traditionally afforded to white males. According to the National Conferences of State Legislatures, affirmative action is, “…an outcome of the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement, intended to provide equal opportunities for members of minority groups and women in education and employment. In 1961, President Kennedy was the first to use the term "affirmative action" in an Executive Order that directed government contractors to take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin." The Executive Order also established the President’s Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity, now known as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)” (NCLS, 2014). Affirmative action was further reinforced in 1965 by President Lyndon Johnson when he signed an executive order requiring government contractors to increase the number of minorities that are offered employment.

The lifelong dream of a virtuous student, acceptance into a prestigious college of choice, crushed by the prejudice of a single law. Hopes upon hopes of attaining one’s dream job, demolished due to the same impassive law. Affirmative action, a national dilemma, continues to crush the dreams of many across the country; although meant with noble intentions, affirmative action offers an ineffective, impractical, and useless rectification to correct a historical social evil, the growing imbalance of different ethnicities. Instead of augmenting this common problem, affirmative action plays a critical role in reverse discrimination, equating race to diversity in opinion, and destroying the idea of meritocracy.

The US is a melting pot with various groups of immigration such as: Asian American, Jewish American, African American, and Mexican Ame. Minority groups have experienced many kinds of segregation. They are discriminated in education and employment. Then, a program called “Affirmative Action” was introduced with the hope to engage more people of color into the society.

Affirmative action came into effect back in 1960. Affirmative action, “policies are those in which an institution or organization actively engages in efforts to improve opportunities for historically excluded groups in American society” (Overview). Back in 1961, “President Kennedy was the first to use the term “affirmative action” in the Executive Order that directed government the contractors take affirmative action to ensure that applicants were employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national” (Overview). Affirmative action provides the much needed diversity for the business environment to prosper. If affirmative action is not properly incorporated, it can hinder the business

Affirmative action is a government policy that gives opportunities to minorities, women, and any group who has been the victim of discrimination in the past. Affirmative action is the outcome of the 1960’s Civil Rights movement, growing out of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which outlawed discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or gender. It was the 1978 Supreme Court decision, The Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, which allowed for the use of race-based preferences as a means of fostering diversity, allowing affirmative action to be used in admissions policies. It was created with the intention to provide equal opportunities for members of minority groups in education and employment. Initially, affirmative action focused

There have been many instances that the action has been taken or considered that it isn’t fair to that white worker. The reason being so is that conservatives say that it was or is a free ride on the American system. Many whites and minorities support affirmative action but at the expense of white worker will the white people accept? That’s where controversy begins.one instance is the case of Allan Bakke he at the time was much more classified to get in Davis school. The averages were 2.88 GPA and average admissions test scores of 46 in verbal, 24 in math, 35 in science and 33 in general knowledge. This case itself has bought a mixed result after the supreme court had decided a 5-4 decision. This brought a change in attitude on how to accept admissions from different races or ethnics. Those goals may back fire to those who its intended to protect. The chances that created in the education level back fired. In the Bakke case and Wygant vs Jackson Board of Education. The opportunity give minorities to keep their job even if they had less seniority. They laid off those who were thought it was necessary to be laid off. This provisions were sought to preserve those minority teachers and in the process to hire more of the minority teachers while laying off those teachers who had more seniority when necessary. The verdict of the Supreme court was that the layoff was unconstitutional due to violating the Equal Protection