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Arguments Against Affirmative Action

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The intention of affirmative action, although controversial, is to assist those in minority groups from being discriminated against in order to achieve certain positions. However, it can be argued to be in fact just reverse discrimination. Some places in which affirmative action exists is in the workforce, the government, as well as the educational system. A problem with the idea is that although a person might be more qualified, they might fail to get land the spot because they aren’t in the minority. Assisting minorities to get certain jobs or into certain colleges isn’t the problem, but turning down those who are more qualified for the position is. Affirmative action as an idea that was brought about in the 1960’s in order to help minorities. …show more content…

In 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order banning race discrimination. This regulation assisted in the opening of many skilled trade positions to blacks. Women also began to join the workforce in unexpected numbers. These numbers rose due to the war, but once the war ended, they fell again. Affirmative action instead of just banning discrimination enforces laws which put in place equal opportunity for those who have been discriminated against in the past. The 1960s saw more anti-discrimination laws. The Equal Pay Act made it so employers had to pay both men and women who were doing the same work the same wage. Age discrimination was also a problem, so the Age Discrimination in Employment Act was put in place to protect those over 40 years old. Then in the 1970’s it became illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities. “Opponents of affirmative action consider preferences for minorities a form of reverse discrimination and a violation of the basic American values of equal treatment and success through merit and hard work.” (Barrett 1). This quote outlines the problem with affirmative action is that it goes against one of the most basic American values; hard work. In America you can work as hard as you possibly can no matter who you are in order to achieve your goals. The program itself implements systemic mediocrity. If a person of one ethnicity gets a higher score …show more content…

“Candidate gender quotas include three categories of measures: reserved seats, party quotas, and legislative quotas. Reserved seats are policies that literally set aside places for women in political assemblies. They are usually enacted through constitutional reforms that establish separate electoral rolls for women, designate separate districts for female candidates, or distribute women's seats to political parties based on their proportion of the popular vote.” (Krook 1). Again as stated in the form of quotas for education and the workforce, it is even being implemented into the government as well. There is nothing wrong with whether someone who gets a job is male or female. That is besides the point, but to set aside certain seats for those who are female is rather absurd. It should be restricted by saying that there are spots set aside for them. Both male and female should have access to all the seats. The purpose of affirmative action was to help those who normally weren’t in certain roles in the past, but it’s almost a problem of just putting them in this position just for the sake alone of putting them there. The country of The United States of America isn’t about male or female or race, it's just about who is willing to work for their spot. Anti-discriminatory laws that make sure people people of all kinds are accepted is fine, but when it goes too far and establishes quotas where a

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“A series of legislative initiatives and decisions made by the Supreme Court of the United States defined the possibilities of affirmative action policy” (Finkelman, 2004). Affirmative action is such a controversial topic which has been brought up in many Supreme Court cases. In Griggs v. Duke Power case in 1971, the court argued “Title VII” bans “not only overt discrimination but also practices which are fair in form but discriminatory in operation.” (Finkelman, 2004). To eliminate discrimination processes under Title VII, all employers began to hire and recruit more minorities.

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The main purpose of Affirmative Action is to put an end to discrimination towards the minorities. Although black citizens were put towards a disadvantage in society with the assistance of Affirmative Action was reversed back towards white citizens. When racials practice that have historically have placed blacks at a disadvantage are removed that is when whites believe that preferential treatment is given back to the blacks. Hill also argues that there needs to be some changes in the labor

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In the same way, I think that affirmative action does have its setbacks as well as advantages. However, my position on affirmative action is that I stand against affirmative action on education. [unfair] One reasoen to be against affirmative action is because it does not leave people with the fair advantage such as the minority. Let us say that someone has 12 cupcakes and 6 of them are reserved for the non-minority. The six of the non-minority has already took the last of the 6 cupcakes and.

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Critics of affirmative action frequent describe the policy as being unfair, asserting that it contravenes a conserved system of meritocracy in the country by basing selection decisions on demographic characteristics at the expense of ability and achievement (Thernstrom & Thernstrom, 1997). Defenders take a different position that can be explained by two facts: racism and sexism are still present in the United States society and affirmative action is the most efficient and effective way of reducing discrimination than the present alternatives. However, affirmative action increases fusion and fairness in employment and in education because it works as a proactive observing system. As Crosby and Smith (2005) consider, “such policies may help ensure that patterns of bias—including selective system bias— are uncovered and

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Affirmative action in the United States I believe that affirmative action negatively affects on both minorities and majorities. From a minority’s perspective, the idea that minorities can receive benefits from others due to their race, ethnicity, or gender can cause them to feel segregated against anyway. Since the term, ‘minority,’ no longer applies to every females or person of color today, female students or students of color with affluent backgrounds may feel segregated and devalued even when they did not get any special benefit from affirmative action policies. Majorities, in this case, male or white students, will also get discouraged because this can be regarded as a form of reverse discrimination, especially with racial affirmative action programs.

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Affirmative action is a tool that is used to ensure that minority groups are granted equal opportunity. Whether it be college admissions, or in the workplace, affirmative action makes it possible for all people to enjoy the same opportunities despite skin color, gender, or nationality. Affirmative action was started by President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy started affirmative action to make sure that during the hiring process, and also during employment, that all employees were treated the same, despite their race or nationality. Thereafter, President Lyndon B. Johnson followed up by making it a requirement for government to hire without counting race, religion, nationality, or gender against applicants.

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“Affirmative Action may not be a perfect system, but there should be no doubt that it has endangered many successes. It has opened the doors of America’s most elite educational institutions to minority students, granting them unprecedented opportunities” (Ogletree 12). Thanks to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson a policy that prohibits employment and education discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, and sex is offered today to those who suffer from said discriminations (A Brief History). Affirmative action has opened abundant openings for minorities, allowing the cycle of going to college to be passed down generations and provided job opportunities that otherwise would not be considered by most. Affirmative

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RESEARCH PAPER Affirmative action is a set of governmental policies which tend to give privileges to minorities who suffered from discrimination in the past by providing them with access to educational and employment opportunities. First nuanced by Franklin Roosevelt with war-related work, Affirmative action only became an executive order (10925) in 1961 under John F. Kennedy to ensure that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, creed, color or national origin, to which was later on added sex by Lyndon Johnson in 1965 (11246). From that day till now affirmative action has been a controversial issue in America, with some who find it fair and some other who consider it as a reverse discrimination.

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Is the Affirmative Action policy, a policy to not continue because of its benefits for people of different race or culture, or not to continue do to the reverse discrimination of all parties present? Due to the Affirmative Action policy people may over abused that power in work or schooling places to their advantage. This policy is a grantee to give advantages for those who need the education or occupation. These advantages to whom would need is unnecessary because is a minority we would assume that they possible need help with applying to work or schooling.

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To begin with, people whose family have a lower income and they may not be able to go to college, can use affirmative action to still be allowed to go to college and exploit their talents and still be able to live a standard good life. “Now more than ever, the continued use of affirmative action is needed to address existing discrimination, to break down barriers and to ensure that all individuals have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their talents and abilities” (Affirmative Action, 1) In the quote, it explains how affirmative action helps more people be able to get allowed into schools that would otherwise not, and now have a chance to show their talents and abilities to the world. That although they came from a low income family or a one-parented family, they still have an equal chance to show how they can make a difference in the United States. “These children will grow up to be the adults who drive the

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Affirmative action should be used towards college admissions because it allows a fair evaluation of applicants and compensates for gender and racial inequalities. This policy was originally put into place for white veterans and women, but after the Civil Rights Movement, it began to include minorities. The action does not make it easy for students to get into college based on just their race and only makes up for their disadvantages. Still many conservative whites argue that it is seen as reverse racism and that white students are being discriminated against. However, affirmative action is a response that has developed throughout centuries of discrimination upon people of color and women; this policy is by no means discriminating against white

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Affirmative action has become obsolete in today’s society. Affirmative action is an active effort to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups and women; also: a similar effort to promote the rights or progress of other disadvantaged persons (Merriam-Webster, 2011). Today’s affirmative action will demoralize the very concepts that the policy was implemented to uphold: those of equality for all people regardless of color and discrimination. This policy supports racial multiplicity at the price of distinction, impartiality and experience; it also follows the line of reverse discrimination and sexual bias against white men (Reyna, Tucker, Korfmacher, & Henry, 2005).

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Throughout many of the affirmative action legal cases, one of the main arguments from proponents is that it is necessary in order to right the wrongs of past racial discrimination. Some say that affirmative action is justified because even though white applicants may be more qualified, this is only because they did not face the same hardships as their minority counterparts (Rachels, Ethics, 1973).  Many argue if we do not integrate disadvantaged minorities into mainstream social institutions, they will continue to suffer the discrimination that has plagued our country for centuries and that this is detrimental to not only the minorities but also society as a whole (Anderson, 2002, 1270–71). However, the debate has recently shifted to the benefits of diversity in the classroom which the Supreme Court has affirmed as being a positive thing

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