| An "Affirmative Action" Reaction By: Ruth Mansker Throughout History many minority groups have not enjoyed equal opportunities and equal rights. During the sixties and seventies blacks and women were two minority groups who demanded that changes be made and laws be passed to ensure fair treatment. Thus began "Affirmative Action". Basically, its said that each school and business had to have a certain number of minority students or employees. The movtive behind affirmative action is a good one, but it is no longer needed in today's society and is a slap in the face to all Americans in the modern world. Affirmative action has served its purpose and is no longer needed. This can be seen by a number of minorities who now hold offices in our government on both state and federal level. The purpose of Affirmative Action was to ensure that minorities recieved better educations and better jobs to raise thier families out of poverty. At the time they were grateful, but anymore, its just a way for some of them to get into college cheaper than everyone else. In our modern world, the only way to put us all on an equal playing field is to make both minorities and majority work thier way up the ladder. Many people view Affirmative Action as a case of reverse discrimination. It makes it so that a white male who has worked hard all his life and struggled his way to the top rung of the ladder can have his future plucked from his grasp as a minority whizzes past him and is handed the spot. As a matter of fact, many colleges and universites in California and Texas and several other states have already begun phasing out Affirmative Action. We need to follow suit in the rest of the country and realize that Affirmative Action is not equality. It is merely putting minorities on a pedestal. Acceptance into either schools or the work place should have nothing to do with one's appearance, gender, or sexual orientation. It is insulting to everyone regardless of whether they are part of a minority or not. As a female, I am included in the "minority"crowd and I feel that it is a slap in the face to be told that just because of my not alone in feeling this either. It is wrong to minorities to say that because of thier appearance, we dont think they're capable of success. Our current policies are obsolete. It is offensive to both majority and minority groups by saying they need help. Affirmatve Action has a good motive. Equality is always something to strive for, but it is no longer an effective way to achieve it. In order to have such a society, we must eliminate Affirmative Action, as it is currently a barrier between equality and discrimination. |