Hey all. I was watching a special on 60 minutes last night about affirmative action. I'm curious - what is everyone's view on affirmative action?
Myself, I believe it is quite racist. As an example: If a Caucasian tries to enter a college with a 3.8 GPA through-out high school, and an African American with a 3.4 GPA through out high school, they undoubtedly take the African American. I believe it's both racist to the Caucasians and the African Americans. But that's just my stand on it.
-Chris
ID:190732
 Dec 16 2002, 9:36 am
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I say that affirmative action is wrong. Thats all I'm going to say. And also, I think this thread is going to be huge.
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You have to think about it from the college's point of view. "Hmm, if I don't let the black guy/girl in, then they will think I'm racist. I better let him/her in, since being deemed racist is pretty bad for business."
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But also by not letting the more qualified white guy in, they are being racist, if you take it from that point of view.
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I believe that if schools need more black students, they should look harder, i know some smart black people. I also know some dumbarsh ones. I think it is racist and should not be allowed. Just because a race is a majority, doesn't mean its not being racist, just like if i went to California and made fun of Mexicans, i would still be racist(but i wouldn't). It also bugs me that black people(not all, just all that i know) think that they can call me cracker, wigger, ect and i shouldn't care, but if(and i wouldn't) I called them the rude n word, they would probably beat me up or tell the principle. But back on topic, if a school picks a student based on color, thats racist. I think that should not even be on any application or sheets for the school. Its just wrong. I under stand why black people want to be called African Americans, but why do they still call white people white? Look on any HS state issued test, it will probably say
OMexican OWhite OAfrican American OOther There might be a few more, but thats the jest of it. That bugs me. I say just take that off the aplications and we wont have anything to worry about, except for names, but thats hard to tell race unless it's like Shutequa or something. | |
The sentiments that inspired it were noble, but it's not good public policy. Granted, it doesn't do as much to perpetuate interracial tensions as, say, Jim Crow laws would; but that's hardly a ringing endorsement.
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Skin colour should be ignored in those cases -- if they distinguish between origins, dialects, skin colour, or anything else, they're just as racist as White Power groups. They're using racism for a benevolent purpose, rather than a malevolent purpose, but it's still the epitome of racism.
People should be judged by their talents, not by their origins. | |
Scoobert wrote:
I under stand why black people want to be called African Americans, but why do they still call white people white? Because it's a lot easier to say than, for example, "Norwegian-English-German-Irish-French-and-possibly-Finnish-a nd-Chippewa-American". | |
Not mine, and it makes me mad, not really that it says white, but that black people make a big deal about it saying black, i have many black friends and i doubt any of them care, but people still seem to make a big deal about it.
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I've never been able to decide upon an opinion on affirmative action myself, but since everyone on this thread is against it I'll post a dissenting view. Hopefully this will cause people to consider both sides.
No one really thinks affirmative action is a good thing. It has always been considered a pragmatic means--a necessary evil, if you will. You can't deny that racism against non-whites does occur, and that this is a problem. It means that minorities have a more difficult time getting jobs. One possible solution is affirmative action. It's not a pretty solution, but it's not a pretty problem. -AbyssDragon | |
AbyssDragon wrote:
No one really thinks affirmative action is a good thing. I'm also of mixed minds about it, but I'd argue that many who are "against" affirmative action are actually for it in cases where it benefits them and theirs. Their dumb kid gets into college because the parent is an alum and donates? No problem. Not even if the parent was an alum at a time when minorities couldn't join... Myself, I'm white and I know I'm a big-time recipient of the good old "white affirmative action". I have no formal education beyond High School and started my career barely coming close to the stated requirements for the jobs I was going after, yet I've been given highly technical jobs explicitly reserved for college graduates. Think that would have happened if I weren't white? What bugs me is people who argue "racism is over so we don't need this anymore". Racism isn't over by a long shot, and it's objectively provable by following a black guy around with a camera and seeing how they are treated in stores and such (I've seen this done). I have much more respect for someone who says "Racism is still with us, but this isn't the way to deal with it." Interestingly, the only people I recall saying the latter were black. | |
it doesnt, its absolutely true.
People of different ethnicites believe its alright to get back at the "white man" for their ancestors crimes. Well its not. There is also a form of racism that is worse than just racism, its called Bigotry. all I hear on rap music today is the N word. still racist even if a black person says it to another. Even worse if a black man says it to a white man, and vice verca.. The word mans and should always mean "useless possession" Look at short people, just because your short too doesnt necessarily give you the right to joke about their height. I often sing rap lyrics to prove a point. Im white and you should see the looks in some of their eyes. They dont even realise that its in the music. like i said, intolerance | |
I believe it's an imperfect solution to a nasty problem in an imperfect world. I agree that it's better to seek out minority students with equal or higher qualifications, but I don't think schools should be prohibited from using race as a qualifier. You might have a GPA that's 0.4 higher than the other applicant, but that's like bragging that you won the race when you had a 40 yard headstart. Taking the long view: the minority applicant now will have a college education, which will lead to a better paying job which means that he or she will be able to better support his or her children and will know the importance of education, lessening the importance of affirmative action.
"If you're going to discriminate, discriminate fairly." Paradoxical, but as others have said, a necessary evil (and by far the lesser of the two choices.) As for the use of the words white and black... stop and think a moment. What do those words connote in our society, aside from race? We've got one word synonymous with goodness, purity and light... and another one that means bad or evil. As in, "white magic", "white hats", etc., and "black magic", "black heart", and so on. On top of that, the word "black" even taken as just a racial label had a chance to acquire a lot of venom during the years of slavery, segregation, and more rampant racism. Is it any wonder that some people would seek an alternative to being called "black"? | |
I'm not a big fan of legally mandating affirmative action programs. If a college or business wants to take it upon themselves to protect minorities, more power to 'em, but I don't believe it should be forced. I also don't particularly agree with the idea of giving minorities a disproportionate presence in such instititutions; if a college accepts, say, 30,000 applicants a year and is in a region where 10% of the population is black, I have no objection if they stack their acceptances such that the incoming class ends up 10% black. Stacking things up to 15% or 20%, however, strikes me as injust.
In short, I think it's fine if our institutions want to make sure minorities get their share, but I don't believe in giving them an extra share to make up for their past or their position. If they build a time machine and go back and abolish slavery in 1500 or whatnot, great. Short of that, it's not gonna fix the past, so I see little reason to punish those who weren't responsible for it in the first place. | |
I was just using that as an example, because it's the most common case. There are many possible factors - such as race, ethnic groups, sex, etc.
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Well if you wanna include everything you are, I would be considered: Irish-scottish-german-dutch-english-cherokee-American, and several other things im not sure of.
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Just on topic, I dont actually know what Affirmative action actually is...
What is it? | |
Minorities feel they can be racist, but when its done back.... (BTW I would probably say that whites a the minority in my college)
I am not racist, and I hope this message doesnt give off this impression. Maz