So now can we get rid of Affirmative Action?

unsung wrote:

A black man has reached the most powerful job on the planet. There should no longer be any excuses for black people to hold whatever job that they strive for.

Thoughts?

I think affirmative action is one of the reasons things have changed.

It was kinda like a parent forcing kids to share. It has become a habit now--which is good.

People have become accustomed to the mix of races and genders in the work place more than they would have been without the enforced "sharing" of opportunities.

Quote from Timothy Egan's column in the Nov. 6 New York Times.

"Obama’s ascendancy is likely to have the ironic effect of ending affirmative action, and the old identity politics. He became only the second Democrat since Franklin Roosevelt to win more than 51 percent of the popular vote not because he’s black, but because he is smarter, with better ideas, and showed leadership under fire. This was a victory for meritocracy.

If affirmative action survives, it will be more class-based, as Obama suggested on the campaign trail."

As of today, less than 30% of students in all colleges are minorities, which is a hell of an improvement from less than twenty years ago. Today, I believe the number of minorities in so-called 'elite institutions' was at approximately 10%. That being said, affirmative action never sat quite right with me, at least when it came to the workplace. The entire idea of affirmative action is to get minorities the proper training so they will do better, which means their kids will do better, etc. Problem is it serves nobody any good to elevate someone to a position that does not have the proper training and would perform inadequately due to the lack of training. It doesn't serve the business any good, and it doesn't serve the employee any good. The trick is not to get that individual the job, it is to get him the training, it is to get him an education. I understand the use of affirmative action in education better in this regard, but I still feel like it is an inadequate and ill-fitting band-aid on a bullet wound to the head. It's not solving the real problems. The need is to build equal opportunities, or as close as possible, from elementary schools on up. And ideally, with the improvement of our school system from an early age, more and more black students will make the leap to elite colleges without affirmative action, and the process could die away.

See, the problem with many conservatives when it comes to this issue is that they poo-poo this issue, and simultaneously shoot down any alternatives. If I had my way, I'd do away with affirmative action, but I would heartily increase the money for early childhood education. I'd rebuild every school in the country. I'd make sure kids in the inner cities had smaller class sizes, access to college counselors, and adequate after-school centers. When I float these options, you call it 'welfare.' So what the hell are we supposed to do then? Affirmative action may not be the answer, but going on "as is" is not the answer, either. So until you get serious about supporting these programs and properly funding them, it sounds like you have no solutions to offer besides "Affirmative Action Bad!!!!"

unsung wrote:

A black man has reached the most powerful job on the planet. There should no longer be any excuses for black people to hold whatever job that they strive for.

Thoughts?

So if Obama had lost the election, would affirmative action still be necessary? How about Palin or Hiliary, both of whom, as minorities can use the affirmative action laws, because I'm sure you know that affirmative action was not just for blacks.

Funny how you never hear these colleges with high profile football and basketball teams complaining about affirmative action. These universities that draw millions of dollars for the sports programs. Athletes on full scholarships, that the read and write on a jr. high level. Athletes who's mathematical, science and english skills make you shudder, yet they somehow always maintain the NCAA qualify grade level.

I'd like to see affirmative action done away with, it can always be reinstituted if needed.

I think there are probably ways to improve the program but honestly breaking a cycle takes effort.

If you think anyone can waltz in and change the attitudes of people rebuild old or broken infrastructure and just convince great teachers to go into failing often dangerous schools to change the world good luck.

Some of the issues are personal attitudes, and Obama winning probably gives some people a great deal of hope they never had, it may mean a few people study harder, care more, or don't join a neighborhood gang not to stereotype a particular group here gangs are just part of lower income life.

Hopefully this presidency will be a return to focus on our affairs internally and namely our infrastructure.

I believe Nebraska eliminated their affirmative action program in this election for the record.

mammasan wrote:

Speaking as a minority I have never been a huge fan of Affirmative Action. It had it's time and place but I think in this day and age we should get rid of it, not because I believe that the playing field is level but because it reflects poorly on minorities. In my opinion the playing field is not level but not because of race, but because of poverty and education. It just so happens that more minorities are affected by poverty and poor education, per capita, than whites so it looks like a racial issue.

makes a lot of sense to change that takes work in the communities though with parents and getting them to care along with teacher retention, quality of education and that brings up other horrific Federal Education policies like NCLB. Yikes.