Affirmative Action

            When it comes to Affirmative Action, I am in support of ensuring an adequate pool of historically oppressed applicants but nothing further than that. I feel that Affirmative Action is needed because it is a proactive way of addressing previous discrimination against women and minority races in jobs and education however offering positions to slightly less qualified minorities or quotas are simply immoral.

 In my opinion, Affirmative Action is a form of reverse discrimination. Reverse discrimination violates the right of whites and men who in turn loss opportunities.

In the case of applying for college it often occurs that those minorities that are not at the same intelligence level as the rest of the student body are accepted to show the University’s support of diversity. Therefore the better, more qualified student is then at a disadvantage and may in return get a lesser education. The deciding factor should be merit, not race or gender.

As for jobs, if society gives preferences to historically oppressed applicants in the form of a tie breaker or by any other means, we are then creating a less productive and mediocre society. Jobs should go to those who fulfill the means to productively accomplish the daily tasks required by said job. If we encourage less qualified applicants to take jobs based on historical oppression rather than those who can more successfully complete the job then we are encouraging a society of incompetence.

Affirmative Action also increases racial tension. When it is in place, Affirmative Action makes a point to single people out based on their race. Whether that is to help them in the case of a minority or to level the playing the field, in the case of white males.  Instead of having everyone identify as a human being or as an American, we are once again making a person’s race help decide their future. Affirmative Action pins race against race, minorities against whites. History is almost repeating its self instead of creating a more unified America.