John F. Kennedy's Arguments Against Affirmative Action

1209 Words3 Pages

Joyce A. Figueroa-P.
Intro
The term Affirmative Action was first used by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 as he issued executive order 10925. Affirmative action programs are policies favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, specifically in relation to employment or education. But Affirmative Action is not a modern concept created by contemporary liberals. Although the techniques that are used now in Affirmative Action programs are somewhat newly designed, the recognition of the need to take positive action to readdress discriminations impact as a nation has been around since the Civil War. Affirmative action is an outcome of the 1960's Civil Rights Movement. It was initiated with the intent to provide equal opportunities for minority groups and women in education and employment. In an Executive Order by President Kennedy in 1961 he directed government contractors to take "affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin". The Executive Order also …show more content…

Yet critics say that the issue is economic. Predominantly, individuals that have attained a higher socioeconomic status have a greater amount of opportunities than individuals with a lower socioeconomic background. The argument is that the majority of ethnic groups are disadvantaged because they are frequently in lower income brackets and because of that are not exposed to resources as students that are the same as those from higher socioeconomic classes. Yet advocates of affirmative action use the notion of competition between students based on merit, and that affirmative action makes up for economic disparities between different socio-economic

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