Affirmative action

New Haven
Most seem to have been deleted . Thanks

Affirmitive Action is a racist policy of the left? I wonder when Trent Lott will announce he's changing parties and going liberal?

I was really hoping that was a mistake.

Same thing happened to Lightwizard on another thread.

I have had my computer on all day, but have been away from it for a few hours. I leave the site on my toolbar, so when I come back, I pick up where I left off in terms of "View topics with posts since your last visit".

The last time I came back, I just could not seem to get on for a few minutes. When I finally connected with the site, I had only 3 new posts, which meant that even thoug I could not see the site, I was somehow getting through. I would assume that when there was a problem, people tried to post, and when it didn't appear to "take", they clicked again, and all the "clicks" turned into multiple posts. Ah, the wonders of technology!

Phoenix:

I had trouble posting. I kept getting "Web Site not Responding".
So I kept hitting the enter key, and then about 4-5 copies of my response showed up. I deleted one but couldn't delete any more. Someone else deleted the remaining extras.

Of course, you cannot delete your own post if it has been followed by another post. Is that the situation?

New Haven- I deleted the duplicate posts. There were a number of them and I was running around like crazy trying to clean up the site. I think that one of the threads had 7 dups!

You'll find that when you get those error screens like "site not found," that your post has probably been entered on the forum but for some reason, the return to the page snags. If you log out of that particular forum and log back in, you'll more than likely find your post is there.

Affirmative action is one more example of my theory that man can't help him/herself and must counter an extreme with another extreme before a balance is found.

As an opposing extreme to slavery I find Afirmative Action mildly equivocal but upon considering the intent I am puzzled at the vehemence against it.

I don't know about the schools in your states, but in CT, there is a terrible discrepancy between the affluent communities and the old factory cities. Most of the children in the poor cities are black and hispanic.

If not affirmative action, what do you suggest as a way to give these children and adults a way into the more successful schools and more lucrative jobs?

I understand and sympathize with your objections concerning the use of lawsuits as a way to profit from an otherwise worthwhile law. I also sympathize with the greediness of encouraging people to apply who don't really qualify, those people who make money consulting those who would succumb to easy money or access. People who profit in this way are especially immoral because they are usually leaders of the minority community.

Until there is a 'quota' of qualified teachers for each school, effective drug laws and a welfare policy that provides parenting classes and allows mothers to spend at least part of the day with their young children, I don't see how quotas for schools and jobs can be removed from the books.

Admittedly, the original intent was to rectify a history of repression of black descendants of slaves who worked on southern plantations, but a void was filled when the need was found.

The current administration infuriated teacher's unions by advocating new ways to ensure that all teachers are qualified to teach our children. There are initiatives in place to allow parents including poor parents to remove their child from a failing school, and to a better school, or private school.

The way to help these poor children you speak of, who by the way are not all black or Hispanic, is to improve our education system, and give parents more and better options.

Holding someone out as different due only to skin color sends the wrong message. It says, Based on the color of your skin, we proclaim that you cannot succeed without special help. This, IMO, is racism that is just as damaging to the psyche and futures of young black people in this country, as the racism from the other side. Both say this black person is unequal.

I assert that they ARE equal, and deserve an improved education, as all children do.

Affirmative Action UC California

Affirmative action is not a law but a policy - there are only the rules determined by the institution. However, if the rules are not fair and equitable they can be challenged. Personally I fail to see how a diverse work force or student population can hurt anyone or give any advantage to anyone other than those who have been held back because of some accident of birth.

Joanne--

The workforce and universities can and should be diverse. Diversity is one of the most wonderful things about our country. But, it is wrong to force it falsely.

Its like saying minorities would never amount to anything without help.

I don't believe that is true.

I advocate an affirmative action for poor people, with no color criteria. Whats wrong with that?

Racism doesn't just affect poor people.

The workforce and universities can and should be diverse. Diversity is one of the most wonderful things about our country. But, it is wrong to force it falsely.

Its like saying minorities would never amount to anything without help.

I don't believe that is true.

Well, that's noble, and in the spirit of "color-blindness" the republicans say they have (or are suffering from, depending how one looks at it), but it doesn't speak to reality.

Affirmative action was our best effort to right a great wrong. It remains in place because, while it is human nature to hire and socialize with those most like ourselves, it is not fair or equitable. And if most of those who can hire you are white males and you ain't one, you might be able to understand why you'd want some legal assurances in place.

The purpose of AA programs was to remedy proven wrongs created by acts of discrimination. It was never a program designed to create economic parity.

There are plenty of whites in those same cities, going to those same schools, etc.. Why should one person have a government established program to assist them that their next door neighbor doesn't have and is based entirely upon race? Does the poor white family not have the have rights as a poor black or hispanic family? Why should a black or hispanic from a wealthy community get the nod, based on their race, over a white from a poor family or city? AA Programs don't look at the economic status of the applicant. The game is played (almost) entirely by race (or sex).

If someone wants to develop a program that offers opportunities for people who live in poverty to escape that situation I'd be all for it. Offering that program to people based entirely on their race is discrimination however, and that is excatly what AA is supposed to be helping to eliminate.

Bush weighed in with his opinion on Michigan's AA policies today.

Court gets the briefs from the Michigan students tomorrow morning.

The fact under contention is that blacks applying to Michigan get 20 points toward the 150 needed by checking black in the race box.

The white students say this is unconstitutional and bias.

What do you think the court will say?

i have no idea how the court will see this issue, it is far too complicated for me to understand, points given for race, points given for athletes, points given for offspring of alumni, the only thing obvious is that simple criteria of qualification does not exist.

In complete agreement.

Legacies, and other BS reasons are in the same category as AA, and should be stricken, as well.

Just what would be wrong with a system based on Prior Academic Performance and comprehensive Competitive Entrance Examinations ... perhaps some of the disadvantage of the disadvantaged is in the area of incentive more than in opportunity.
If one is given an edge in the interest of competition, one need not necessarily rise to the level of the competition in order to participate. Rather than mandate which disadvantaged group gets which offsetting advantage, one would be better advised to address directly the reasons any given group might be in some way disadvantaged. One does not treat a festering disease by masking its symptoms. That's a good way to get gangrene.



My call on the hearing: Narrowly Split Decision against The U.



timber