Pros And Cons Of Affirmative Action

Katznelson has divided the book into four different sections and topics. The first topic is about Social Security and Welfare. The second topic is about minimum wages, unions and maximum hours. The final two topics are about the military, and the GI Bill and the benefits received by veterans. Each of these are discussed at great lengths. Each one discusses the impact each had on African Americans at the time. The overwhelming lack of support each one of these had on the African American population especially in the south. Affirmative Action is a term used to promote the action of non-discrimination, and was first used on March 6th 1961. The title of the book refers to “Affirmative Action” helping white people more than African Americans. Each of the four sections the book talked about were meant to help poor African Americans but the benefits were rarely seen or not seen at all after the implementation of the programs like Social Security and the G.I

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.

It hides and shields the true meaning of independence, an ideal on which our country was founded upon; moreover, it crushes self-reliance and the hardworking sentiment. It does not consider the true ability and experience while prioritizing race which really has no impact on the two real factors that should determine admission. It demeans genuine minority achievement as success is merely labeled as a result of affirmative action rather that the outcome of hard work and ability. Supporting my argument, Justice Kennedy, an active member of the Supreme Court Justices, states the following: “So what you’re saying is that what counts is race above all … You want underprivileged of a certain race and privileged of another race.” Correctly so, this quote argues for standards and benefits of meritocracy, truly a stable and fair method to judge prospective applicants. Withal, a real life scenario of students who were rejected purely due to affirmative action further strengthens my case. A group of rejected Asian students sued the University of Harvard. Not only did they score higher on the SAT, but in an interview with FOX news, they stated that they had more and better qualified extracurricular activities plus higher level courses and grades throughout the course of high

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.

Two centuries of severe racial oppression cannot be remedied by four decades of governmental policy. Public opinion also seems to support the effectiveness of affirmative action policies. In a 1999 poll conducted by Newsweek, “both African Americans and whites say [that] affirmative action has improved conditions for blacks” (Race: Bills and Proposals). The effectiveness of affirmative action is also evident in employment demographics, as “there have been significant gains over the past 20 years in minority employment, even in traditionally segregated trades such as sheet metal and electrical work” (Race: Discussion Guides). Affirmative action programs have also played a major role in education, providing new opportunities that were once denied to minorities.

Affirmative Action remains one of the more complicated and controversial topics dealt with in American society. Affirmative Action is an action or policy designed to protect specific groups who suffer from discrimination, and provide them with programs and special opportunities. These government or private programs were designed to set right historical injustices towards the members of these groups who have suffered things like employment and educational disadvantages from racial discrimination. The goal for these actions are to redress past wrong doings by fixing things like inequalities in employment and pay, as well as increasing opportunities for education. By achieving this, the outcome would restore equal access and opportunity in favor of the members of these groups. These groups generally consist of certain minorities that have suffered from social ills such as slavery and segregation.

Affirmative action is a strategy formed during the Civil Rights Movement in response to the prejudiced approach toward African American citizens in the American community. The policy advocates these citizens in particular conditions to avoid the unfairness they would usually receive. To explain why the system needed to be adjusted to be equal for everyone. It is essential to realize that African Americans came to America as laborers (slaves) made to work long hours and numerous slaves endured inhuman treatment and underwent severe injuries. American citizens in the South challenged a lengthy campaign to seek to continue to be permitted to own slaves but through Lincoln and abolitionist slave-owning was ultimately banished.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…." Even before it became a nation, America was heralded as a land of equality. Thomas Jefferson's statement begs more than a few questions, one of which is: "How can we ensure equality to everyone?" Beginning in the late 1960s, the federal government provided an answer to this question in the form of affirmative action. In recent years, many people have called this policy into question. Interestingly, affirmative action is sometimes attacked by the people it helps, and defended by those it hurts. In particular, two recent essays demonstrate that people's race does not necessarily determine their beliefs on the issue of affirmative

The purpose of affirmative action is to ensure equal opportunity for minorities. But it has strayed from its original intent and has become largely a program to achieve not equal opportunity but equal results. It is a system of quotas forced upon American businesses and working class by the federal government. A law which forces people to look at race before looking at the individual cannot promote equal opportunity. Affirmative action continues the judgement of minorities by race; it causes reverse discrimination, and contradicts its purpose.

Throughout America there are many different views on the effects of affirmative action. Many see it as a negative policy which gives an unnecessary advantage to minorities in America. In a 2009 Pew Poll, “58% of African Americans agree” and only “22% whites agree” that there should be “preferential treatment to improve the position of blacks and other minorities” ("Public Backs Affirmative Action”).

Discrimination and segregation have been inbred into America’s history from day one. Therefore, there have been many laws and bills passed to break down barriers between privileged whites and unfortunate minorities. Among these government actions are the 14th Amendment, Equal Pay Act, and the Civil Rights Acts. John F. Kennedy perhaps created one of the most heavily debated policies today, his Affirmative Action Policy. Affirmative action is defined as, “the practice of improving the educational and job opportunities of members of groups that have not been treated fairly in the past because of their race, sex, etc.” (“Definition of AFFIRMATIVE” 1). The definition itself is vague and open for a good deal of interpretation which causes much of today’s debates. The most recent interpretation of Affirmative Action came from the Fisher vs. University of Texas at Austin (UT of Austin). Fisher was a white individual who was denied acceptance into the university, and then filed a lawsuit against them. Fisher lost the case at the Supreme Court level in 2013, but the case returned in 2016 again with a much closer vote, so affirmative action is losing some of its power and will continue to be challenged for years to come, but is it worth the challenge (Kut.org 1)? Affirmative Action has served a vital role in the integration of race into universities and the workforce, but now it is outdated and an unnecessary requirement for schools and businesses.

Court cases that have involved Affirmative Action are not rare, such as Regents of University of California v. Bakke, Wessman v.Gittens (Russo and Mawdsley 263,266), and Grutter v. Bollinger (Kim 17). In these cases students of the non-minority category, were denied admissions into the school, even though they were more qualified. These court cases show how affirmative action has hurt majorities and benefited minorities. “Affirmative Action is calling into question the values of our society, such as equality, fairness, and justice” (Kim 12). Affirmative action is a form of reverse racism and it is in direct violation of the equal protection clause of Civil Rights Act of 1964. Giving out points based on race is unequal and if the majority gave points to Caucasians or Asian Americans, would receive serious back lash. People that gave these points to the whites or Asians will be viewed as a racist. Everyone should be held to the same standards and the same

Throughout history America had a struggle against slavery and racism. After fighting for independence and freedom, America in current times is now free and mostly free of racism. Although “Affirmative Action” has caused some trouble due to the fact that people are claiming this process is racist and should not be used as a factor of getting into college. Affirmative Action is discrimination against assisting racial minorities in school admissions, hiring contracting in financial aid. (Sacks & Thiel) During times of less diversity and more stereotypes, institutes and other educational programs used Affirmative Action as a way to eliminate requests and choose the best person that qualifies. (Sacks & Thiel) Affirmative Action is no longer necessary because Affirmative Action uses race and not the advantages or disadvantages that people have, which may be unconstitutional and as well as illegal. (Ncsl) Without Affirmative Action students may use their “merit” scores as a factor of their acceptance (Sacks & Thiel) Lastly Affirmative Action is no longer needed because it increases racial tension. (Top 10)

If all facts were considered, it would be clearer that affirmative action is about equal economic opportunity, not just for minorities, but for women as well. It is about providing a chance to compete and participate in the economy. Every American would benefit when each person has the chance to contribute to the maximum extent of his or her ability. Affirmative action opens doors and provides opportunities for many people.

Affirmative action is reverse discrimination and is morally not right or fair. America has come a long way trying to make life equal for all U.S citizens not based on race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, mental or physical disabilities; and affirmative action is doing just the opposite.