I believe Affirmative Action is ludicrous and should never be accounted when hiring, or accepting someone into a school or business. It is very unethical to judge someone on gender,race, ethnicity before hiring them or accepting them. After reading the different articles on Affirmative Action there were a couple spectrum's that I did and didn't agree with. I do think that the past "White mans" action were pitiful and embarrassing especially for me who is white and having to hear about the horrors that white people did to African Americans. With that being said woman were treated like toys with no brains as well by the "White Man". This awful part of our history to me is like an ex boyfriend who was awful. I think it's best to leave it in the past. I think it will always be taught and part of our history but when it comes to the job force or schools today I don't think a white boy fresh out of college that he perhaps paid for himself should get less recognition because he is white because someone in his ancestry that he didn't even know existed. All races and all genders should be looked at by more than that. They should be noticed for their personalities, their charisma, and their people skills. Equality could be ours if we just worked as a species to put the hate away and start fresh. Unfortunately that statement isn't realistic in the world we live in today. Racism is still alive and hate is still alive. I think to help create a work force and education system without these discriminatory acts government officials or school and labor groups need to set up rules and maybe perhaps background checks into the application processes to make sure someone wasn't given a job for the wrong reasons. Point of this is that I think all jobs need to have all different types of people male and female and of all different sorts of ethnicity  This would help hiring and accepting candidates without being as bias as a job force with a prominent selection of one race or one gender.

Alexandra Spencer

Affirmative Action

            There were times in which affirmative action defiantly was useful especially right after all the civil rights movements which were granting more rights to minorities and women when African Americans. At this time putting affirmative action into place was absolutely necessary even if the employer or university claimed that they would not be discriminatory there probably still was. This helped minorities and women to be able to get jobs or get into universities that they otherwise would not have been able to because of the help affirmative action. Now being that it is the year 2013 I do not believe that these laws or practices should still be in place. Now we have become a very blended society and in most cases everyone is treated equally regardless of sex or race. People now get the job or into the university because they are qualified for it not because they need to fill a quota.

            This is a society today everyone is supposed to be treated equally and if a person is better qualified than they should get the job or get into the university regardless of race or gender. I think that affirmative action can cause reverse discrimination. For someone who is better qualified for a job but does not get it because the business has to hire more minorities because of affirmative action so they chose the lesser qualified applicant. This to me in unfair and should not be the case anymore. I believe that everyone deserves equal opportunity race and gender should not play a factor when hiring for a job or getting into a university. I believe more in the tie-breaker model that as long as they are equally qualified with the other applicants that the employer should chose the better applicant regardless of anything else. This model I think provides more of a balance in the work place and will put into place a better dynamic if there is more equal opportunity. I also think that race and gender should not be a factor or something that should have to be put on a resume because the employers should hire based on the proper credentials not anything else. In a perfect world everything should be equal and fair to everyone regardless of race or gender and I think our country has made great progress over the years with these issues and I hope that we continue to progress. 

Affirmative Action

Affirmative action is a subject matter based solely upon an attempt at eliminating racial biasing and achieving equality for all through opportunity. Yet, each individual circumstance in which the principles of affirmative action would serve justice should be handled within its own realm. The concepts that a race learns better from their own kind, or gender vis-à-vis, should not be a determining factor in fulfilling a position. This then allows the gender or race in itself to become a quality worth considering for competence and more so proficiency, which further reinforces the discord affirmative action was put in place to eliminate. Consequently, the social concept that the race of a figure or model can affect societies outlook on the adequacies of that racial group must be considered. Simply put, people that fill an esteemed role or position become a representative of their own heritage and culture. For this fact affirmative action can accept morality only under certain variations, which are:

-Ensuring an adequate pool of historically oppressed applicants and

-Giving preferences to historically oppressed applicants if they’re equally qualified with other top candidates, better known as the Tiebreaker model.

Any other alternatives to affirmative action must be denounced due to their unethical behavior. To overlook the quality of an individual in favor of their race, heritage, or culture can and will pass for racial discrimination, regardless of what end of the racial spectrum it is acting on. Affirmative action should not consume any enterprise or industrial entity as its primary concern and should only be considered after all other factors of the employees’ expectations.

                                                                       Affirmative Action

Jahmari Erkerd

            Affirmative Action in any shape or form is wrong. Pojman’s idea of individuals rights being color blind is right. We don’t need to payback the injustices done to people in the past. People who had nothing to do with something that happened decades ago should not have to pay the price today. This leads to a reverse discrimination mainly against white males. Affirmative Action gives unearned privileges to people of color or women. A question I have is why does it not extend to poor working class people who are white men?

            Some people may agree with Thompson’s point of view that universities can’t impose these policies on their schools, but that some Affirmative Action is okay. If we draw the line with private schools, then why not with public? Why should a white male be treated differently if he has the same qualifications as a person of color or a woman? In all likely hood he is not responsible for past injustices himself. In all likely hood he is not a racist or a person who looks down on women. Even if his past relatives were responsible why should he be held accountable? I understand that society is complex and we do see ourselves as a race or a gender and that it is okay to talk about rights in the abstract but we have social problems we need to address. Color blindness may not even be possible. This could be more about social inequality in general. For this country to function at it’s best, the most qualified person for the job needs to get it.     

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. 

Affirmative Action

Affirmative action was a huge step for America back in the 1960's but is it still relevant now? After passing new anti racism laws america was on the right track to equality and a "level playing field" in the mid 1900's but after all this time are they still ethical? Honestly, I can play both sides of this argument. I can see why someone would say having these laws in 2013 is immoral because of the fact that racism shouldn't exist in america anymore, but unfortunately racism still exists and minorities are safer with this law. I believe these laws are moral and should stay in place until racism is completely abolished, which is something I don't see happening any time soon.
I believe in the level playing field argument, and the argument for compensation from those who innocently benefited from past injustice because minorities deserve equal rights and people who have harmed them in the past should compensate them. I do not believe in the Compensation argument for preferential affirmative action because i do not see the whole white society paying blacks for compensation being fair. The people directly involved should be the ones paying not people who had nothing to do with it. Certain people should be forced to compensate but not everyone.
without a doubt, affirmative action will continue being a part of American culture for many more years to come. Hopefully within the next few decades racism can be abolished and the memory of affirmative action goes with it. A society where color does not make a difference is what we should all aim for to not only better ourselves but to also benefit the planet.

Affirmative Action: is it still fair?

Tonishia Signore                                 Affirmative Action

I believe that affirmative action was a necessary and worthwhile cause when it was first implemented however in today’s society it is no longer applicable. I believe it is no longer moral or necessary because the people who were being oppressed (Blacks, women, etc.) are now offered (basically) the same opportunities as say, white men. I do not believe with my coming generation that gender or color will be as much as a dividend as economic classes. For example, just because a person is a woman does not mean that she cannot go to college, however if she is a woman with little money, raised in a poor neighborhood, her chances may be less. In further argument I believe very simply it is unethical to give a scholarship to a wealthy black student, over a poor white student, simply because the black student is a different color. Assistance should be provided based on need, no matter what color, gender, or religion a person is.

think it is fair to say that still applying affirmative action in today’s society is a serious form of reverse discrimination. According to certain forms affirmative action, if a person has fewer qualifications, but is a historically oppressed minority and is applying for a job alongside a non-minority, they will still receive the job. How is that fair? Even if the person in the majority has worked their absolute hardest and made huge sacrifices, it would not matter. Simply because they are white they will not be given the job. My personal standing is that people are people, color or religion should never be a factor. Whether the decision be a job, college, scholarship, advancement opportunities, or any other wide range of possibilities, it should not be based on physical characteristics but rather social and economic facts, which prove necessity. 

Affirmative Action

I believe that affirmative action can be considered to be moral to an extent and in a certain situation.  Situations that include two candidates for either a job, education or any other kind of position in which you compete for a role where both are equally qualified.  In this situation affirmative action should be taken place since those who are usually part of a group that is discriminated against don't usually get the position.  It should be given to them because the group that they belong to can easily be the minority of what they are applying for and if they are given the opportunity there might no longer be a minority.  

Although, in any given situation gender, race, religion or any other reasoning for discrimination should not be the deciding factor but when it comes down to it no matter what it usually does play some role.  In such situations where the first candidate of a minority group is more qualified then the second candidate who usually is not discriminated against and the second candidate gets the position then this is when affirmative action should come in place.  An example of this might be a black man who is more qualified then a white man although the white man gets the position because of the color of there skin.  This is when stereotypes come in, and when one is in a position of hiring someone the word stereotype should not be in there vocabulary.  The candidate who is more qualified in any given situation should be the one to get the position.  Just because one might be a different race, gender, poor or rich this should not give one a reason to belittle them.  One should not be bias to a person who might fall under a certain group, if one is qualified for something they deserve it more then anyone else.  Those who have jobs should have them for one reason only which is because they not only deserve it but because they are qualified not because they are the race and gender that the person hiring is looking for.  It is thought to be that when in a position of hiring they are usually looking for a white male however this is not always the case.  An example could be a nursing position a female is usually picked before a male is because females are usually raised to be more nurturing then males.  Again this is when affirmative action should come in place because no one should be discriminated against for the person that they are.

Affirmative action

I believe affirmative action to be immoral on all its levels. It doesn't make sense to try and solve perceived inequality with more inequality or seek compensation from those who had nothing to do slavery. On college applications bubbling in and identifying your race shouldn't qualify or disqualify you for anything, it should be based upon your accomplishments only.

One of America’s greatest and longest standing principles is meritocracy. It should always be the best man for the job, the most qualified; the one who has put in the time and work to achieve their goals should achieve them and not be disqualified because they are not meeting a quota or share a similar background with those already in the field. Not only is it a disservice to those qualified individuals who have to give up their spot because they are white, rewarding hard work with injustice, it is also a disservice to blacks. Affirmative action take the position that blacks aren't otherwise qualified or don’t merit jobs on their own and therefore must step  in, rewarding lazy behavior or reinforcing negative stereotypes. Affirmative action also serves as a detriment to society. If I or one of my family members was severely injured and the first responders have just the minimum qualifications and were given the job over more qualified applicants that can make a huge difference in somebody’s life.

We can never put racism truly in the past while we still have institutions such as affirmative actions that flaunt favoritism and reverse discrimination.  Affirmative action is guilty of the very thing it was it was created to address, racism.

                

Affirmative Action

I believe that Affirmative Action was once helpful to society. Since the U.S. has changed majorly from when it was created there needs to be provisions to the law. I believe that it is important to help people that need to be helped but it does not necessarily apply to the group of people that it has in the past. Affirmative Action is immoral and should no longer exist.

There is no need to help people get a public job or into a public university. Those people admitted should be qualified based on their abilities not what race or gender they are. Allowing people that are less qualified to get the position is not efficient to society it is immoral. It would make most sense to give it to the most qualified applicant based on ability not race or gender.

Affirmative Action may have helped some individuals in the past but also could have hurt people through reverse discrimination. It is immoral to have to deny someone a position because the company needs a female or a person of a different race. People may argue that people of a certain race deserve the position because they are qualified but a white male may be more qualified for the position and therefore should have the job. It is immoral giving the job to a person less qualified. Not only does it hurt the company it also hurts the person being denied.

Times have changed and people that need assistance get it through other means. Affirmative Action is not helping society thrive it is hurting society. There might still be discrimination but Affirmative Action is not helping the cause it might actually be making it worse.