Is the Affirmative Action Policy in the United States of America discriminatory ? Please answer nicely!?
442326
It seems as though America has too many types of individuals to cry discriminaton. Think about it? They should remove the word from all languages. It is not only ratial, but anyone can cry the word. I am disabled, so I can cry, my neighbor is add, so she can cry, another is quadrualpolegent and can cry, another is Mexican,another is Indian and the list goes on. Why can't people be adults and work hard for their positions? They should do away with it all together!!!!!!!! IT MAKES ME MAD!!!!!!!!!!!!
204863
equal rights/affirmative action while noble in thought are actually divisive in that there is one side that gets screwed over the other.  It is a joke and I can't believe that there are still occurances from what you described.  I really feel for you man.  hope your luck changes.
286848
To discriminate is to make a distinction between people on the basis of class or category without regard to individual merit. Examples include social, racial, religious, sexual, disability, ethnic and age-related discrimination. Some distinctions between people which are based just on individual merit (such as personal appearance) may be inappropriate (or even illegal) in some situations, but they are not discriminatory.\n\nExamples of discrimination within countries include: apartheid in South Africa; institutionalized racial segregation in the USA from the Civil War through the 1960s; the "Jewish problem" in Nazi Germany; and reeducation camps in some communist countries.\n\nMany governments have attempted to control discrimination through civil rights legislation, equal opportunity laws and institutionalised policies of affirmative action (called reverse discrimination by its opponents).\n\nEven in western, secular countries, governments practice discrimination. For example, governments may provide better treatment to citizens than to non-citizens. Unemployed citizens may receive welfare benefits funded by taxpayers, while unemployed non-citizens may be denied such benefits. Governments often have the power to forcefully expel non-citizens but cannot expel citizens. Discrimination based on citizenship status is not generally considered illegal.
454968
so if the program was completely filled with only indians, would you find this discrimination against other races? what if it was only white people, would it make a difference? my best guess at quota systems is that they are designed to prevent racial monopoly. ie all white schools have to let in other racial groups. the whole thing is racism regardless of fairness. no race should create a monopoly in any resource and then block out other races from having equal oppurtunity.  maybe this is not happening in your situation, then im sorry if your being discriminated against
978911
Well, I am neither bi-racial or multiracial, but I notice being white I still face discrimination sometimes.  Some people automatically assume I am racist, even though I am so far from it.  For example, the other day at work a Hispanic couple (their race doesn't matter to me, but it illustrates the point) came up to pay for their dinner with a credit card.  Our policy is that we ask everyone for I.D. when they are paying with a card.  It's for their protection, but also because we have seen cases of fraud.  Anyhow, he seemed a little irritated, but he showed me, finished the bill and left.  About 20 minutes later his wife called and spoke to my manager and said that I was being racist asking for I.D. because they were Hispanic.  My manager explained that asking for I.D. is a company policy and that I was only doing what I was told.  She told them next time they came in that they would receive a free dinner.  However, when she hung up, she came and told me she had watched me when they were paying and that I had done absolutely nothing wrong, and that if those people ever came in again to let her know so that she would ask them to leave.  It kinda bothered me because I know I am not racist in the slightest, but I just laughed it off because I knew it was their ignorance and not mine.  Gosh, sorry for making this so long.
1091454
Well initially, affirmative action was proposed to provide equality in the workplace. However, today, many believe it is over-emphasized and now the majorities are almost minorities in a sense because the Affirmative Action clause in the respective employer will choose the minority over the majority. \nThe pros are that it helped level out the diversity in the workplace based on racial population rates in each respective geographic area. It was a huge part of the Civil rights movement that still exists today. It plays a huge role in the employment processes of todays society. Good luck in your debate.
800868
Why would we want affirmative action in congress.  You should want the best people for the job, we shouldnt stick people of one race or another in a National seat just because there arent enough of them in already.
111308
I like Thomasfromia's concise answer. Of course it is not an ideal system, but it clearly has helped to overcome centuries of discrimination in educational admissions. All it means is to look at criteria other than test scores and grades in determining admissions, with the goal of a more diversified student body. This allows access to the "pie" to people that otherwise would be shut out. In turn, enlarging this access in the long term decreases economic and social inequities in our society. You might be surprised at how many affirmative action admits, when given the chance, become outstanding, productive citizens.\nSure, I'd rather not have it, but for the sake of our society, I'd rather have it than nothing. Ironically, though, we've always had a different form of affirmative action, one that allowed ill-prepared but wealthy students to get in above those better qualified. The most obvious example is the Ivy League legacy policy that let's in the offspring of the rich. Or how about the policy of "special admitting" athletes who otherwise wouldn't qualify? At least, if you get rid of it, get rid of all such favoritism.\nAs long as all of those who enter the university are required to complete the standards for graduation, I am happy to enlarge the pool of students who are given an opportunity.
828701
Ugh.No I dont.Im a liberal, but on this thing I really really agree with you. \n Affirmative action only succeeds in further spreading the idea that racism is alive and well in this country by rewarding someone simply because of the color of their skin.
747173
Actually all people should be against affirmative action.  It creates unfair advantages.  In regards to your comment about it being harder to get good grades going to a bad school I have to disagree.  Going to a good school generally means a higher level of competition and a greater degree of scrutiny in the grading process.    By your reasoning if I was homeschooled by a moron uncle who gave me straight A's but did not teach me anything correctly admissions counselors should be more impressed by me than by someone who went to a highly competitive school with good instructors.\n\nMinorities get too many advantages through affirmative action.  I'm sorry if this offends you but it is true.  You should not want the special treatment given to you by these laws because basically what they are saying is that you aren't as good or as smart as a white person.  I think we both disagree with that and that we both would take that as an insult, you are in all likelihood just as smart and just as capable as anyone else.  But in reality that is exactly what the affirmative action initiatives are saying about minorities.  \n\nWhen special consideration is give to anyone because of the color of their skin or the country they were born in or for whatever reason they are going against the fundamental ideals upon which the country is founded.\n\nIts a matter of pride, I was born into poverty, I had no father, I had a mother that worked to support myself and my siblings.  We all got jobs as soon as we could and contributed what little we could to help us get by.  We refused welfare and charity out of pride.  We learned to work hard and to persevere and we have all become successful.  We went to the worst school imaginable and we had no special treatment because of our situation.  Yet we all went to college, we all worked our way through and we are the better for it.\n\nDon't buy into the hype that just because you are of a certain heritage that you need or deserve special treatment.  Don't sell yourself or your heritage short.  Be proud and stand up and demand equal footing not a hand up or a hand out.
1110996
Affirmative action is beginning to give the minority groups an unfair advantage over non-minorities.  Perfect example: Employment,  most government agencies hire based on a points system.  The applicant with the most points gets the job.  Points are awarded based on interviews, exams, etc., but most employers automatically give minorities a few extra points just for being a minority.  When you look at it like this one can see that affirmative action is really nothing but racism, which is what it was meant to eliminate.
848016
Yes, minorities get special treatment. Just like you'd be racist if you decided to start a United White College Fund. It is complete garbage. If it is racist to go one way, it is racist to go the other. Eliminatae race from the equation entirely and just have a United People College Fund!!!!!!!!
1010534
Affirmative action is not here to "pay back" previous discrimination but to prevent current discrimination.  Whether it exists or not in large amounts (there will always be at least one person in America who is racist and in a position of power) is somewhat difficult to determine to say the least.\n\nSome would argue that racists whites established themselves in positions of power early in this country's history and do everything they can to make sure racist whites stay in power, so even now they are at the top and affirmative action is there only to ensure a more equal chance for minorities.  Others argue the point of affirmative action was to equalize it out and now that it has been in place for many years it has done its job and it is now time to quit before it equalizes "too much."  \n\nI'm not sure myself if it is right (I'm Hispanic), especially since I don't like it being attributed to affirmative action when I get a decent job.  But I have seen it happen already too many times that I did lose a job because somebody felt I should go back to Mexico (I was born in the United States and I'm around 6th generation in from my Mexican ancestry, 3 generations in from my European ancestry, and native from my Native American ancestry).  I think it is helpful and needed but I do understand why whites (especially the males) would feel it unfair.  Sometimes they lose the job even when more qualified because of it.
363518
Being a "white" man I hear what you are saying.\n\nAnd yes Affirmative Action is very controversial these days.  "White" men also miss many other government funded opportunities, like minority grants for starting businesses, etc. \n\nBut as a "white" man I must admit that I have many advantages others in our society don't have.  People throw jobs at me.  I have never been fired.  Police treat me with respect, and don't stop me when I walk down the street at night.  I can catch a cab in a bad neighborhood at night.  I have never been to jail.  Have never been suspected of a crime.  Basically I have had the ideal life, and the list goes on and on.\n\nI have never taken this for granted.  I have always worked hard, paid my taxes, voted, gone to jury duty, treated minorities with equal respect, etc.  I know that I have it better than most, and don't flaunt it by driving an expensive car or portraying myself as "better off".\n\nBut have I had these "extra" opportunities because I am "white", or because I have been give opportunities from my family and friends since childhood; I went to private schools, live in a rich city, have rich friends, have been taught manors, and know how to walk and talk, and earn others respect.  I was taught that communication is the most important aspect of any relationship.\n\nThe reality is that I have opportunities today because my family had given me opportunities growing up.  They were able to do this because they had money and love for me, and they learned from their parents how to be good parents.\n\nBut many people out there have nothing to give to their families.  They come from poverty.  Their kids go to crapy public schools in the inner cities.  Their parents beat them or are never home because they work three minimum wage jobs just to pay the rent.\n\nMany of these people are poor because their families were either exploited, enslaved, warred upon…………by families like mine.\n\nMy family enslaved "blacks" in the old days.  The companies my family invests in hold factories in third world country where workers are poorly paid.  My country has a history of exploiting, conducting wars, and economic takeover in foreign countries.  Most of the minorities in America come from these backgrounds.\n\nIf these people are not given a hand up they will stay down. And desperate people are expensive to control.  Desperate people commit crimes, they use drugs, and they don't care about others.\n\nThe problem is that there are poor "white" Americans too.  Should we not reduce Affirmative Action to skin color, but to financial status?  There are rich "blacks" that are given more opportunities than poor "whites".\n\nBut if we stop setting quotas for race, will poor "whites" get more jobs than poor "blacks"?  We can't afford not to make compromises, but I see that the system needs revisions.\n\nToo many right wing "whites" say that we are all given an equal chance in this country, and if you don't make it, it is because you are lazy or just stupid.  I say it is easy for the rich and whites to say such things.  Whites come from privileged backgrounds (not all, but many more than other ethnicities).  Racism still exists, and not just in Affirmative Action. \n\nBut a problem exist that must be fixed; poor whites are given less opportunities because they are white.
945025
If you skip over the qualified for the less qualified it is unfair to all of us as a society.  How is it treating people equally when you don't reat them equally????  You look at the sex, nationality origin, physical characteristics or skin color and say... YES I PICK YOU because you're white, a woman and have a limp...\n\nNO way in any stretch of the imagination are you then treating people EQUALLY!
73465
Yes and no. Teams should always hire the best person available, regardless of skin color, so there shouldn't be a quota system. I know the NFL makes each team interview at least one black candidate for any head coaching position. They should do the same for assistant coaches, if they don't already. If African Americans have access to those positions, they will naturally get experience to move up in the ranks if they prove themselves.
461977
Yes, there is still a lot of discrimination in the real world. From my own experience, I tried to find a job on my own sending in my resumes to the positions that I qualified for.I just graduated from City College of San francisco with an Associates degree in Liberal Arts. However, I was not getting any response. Also, when I do get a response, I NEVER go to round two of the interview. I am answering the interview questions according to my work experience and believe me, most of the majority of the interviews I had were RUDE that I applied for. I was desperate NEED of a job. So, it really depend on your work experience. If you don't have a LOT then KNOW someone who will hire you for a year. All the employers are looking for is EXPEREIENCE.