Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action

Blacks and other minority groups have been wrongfully persecuted and punished

and have suffered the indignities of discrimination. As Martin Luther King stated so

eloquently in his "I Have a Dream" speech, blacks should be judged "…not by the color

of their skin, but by the content of their character." Our American culture with its

political, legal, and social considerations, is struggling with the idea of white redemption

while offering minorities a more fair and proportionate representation in the working

community. The result of this challenge is the policy of affirmative action and the many

controversies it brings with it. The proponents of affirmative action argue that because

of past injustices, minorities deserve special privileges. The critics of affirmative action

emphasize that minorities should earn their status and not receive special entitlements. In

my opinion, affirmative action is a policy that unjustifiably discriminates against the

majority, does not advance the cause of minorities in a meaningful way, and needs to be

eliminated or in the alternative, experience a massive restructuring.

"Affirmative Action: The Price of Preference", maintains that affirmative action

has not achieved its goals, and that in some areas, it has even backfired. Steele

acknowledges that blacks were wrongly persecuted, but stresses that as a result of

affirmative action, "blacks now stand to lose more than they gain." Although the intent

of the policy is positive, the end result is a false effort at white redemption and an ill

advised effort by the black mandate to gain power by accepting undeserved positions in

society. Steele points out that instead of focusing on developing ...

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...ol or technical school level by allocating

more resources (financial and staffing) to those in need of extra help. Public acceptance

of this preferential treatment would be greater, less emotional, and more easily justified.

It does not address the intermediate needs of some minorities, but maybe there could be

federal or state programs for special training. It is not feasible to simply lower the

standards. This is not as much of a government handout because it requires the

individual to do something, to show a commitment, and to earn a position. Even if they

don't get the position they wanted, at least they have better tools and are more qualified

for something else. Shelby Steele's idea of development at an early age offers the best

solution to a challenging and perhaps, unsolvable problem.

Bibliography:

" a question of fairness"