The last time I checked segregation and the very idea of discrimination based on gender ended in 1954. Sure, there are some issues concerning segregation and favoritism to this day but not in the same way many would think. Affirmative action, some may consider it a positive step in reestablishing women and people of color into the business and college scene— It seems though that this is exchanging one problem for another. Now, the most qualified person for the job can be turned away because of race or gender.
As an entrepreneur, I would strive to hire the best of the best. I would want the most qualified person for the job. My grandpa told me about a job he was trying to get when he was younger. He went to a telemarketer and interviewed for a job. The man who interviewed him was black and informed my grandpa that he could simply not hire him. My grandpa did not understand why because he was more than qualified for the job. After a little prying, he was told that it was because they did not have enough colored people on the payroll.
This is where I have a problem with it all, I do not care if you are pink, purple, or polka dot, you are a person and as a person, you should not want to be chosen for a job that I was not the best for. I would feel terrible sitting in an office with a shiny nameplate when I was clearly not the best person for the job. The problem that is being caused now is discrimination against a different gender and race. We are not fixing any problems, just more hatred and discrimination.
Colleges can admit people based on affirmative action if need be.
Colleges can admit people based on affirmative action if need be.
There are beauty pageants that are exclusive like Miss Black America and Spirit of India. Heaven forbid there be a White Miss America. There are scholarships for people based on race and gender, except for Caucasian men. Why would that ever be ok? The people who seem to be racist are the very people who claim they are trying to get rid of racism. It seems that instead of righting the wrong that is racism, they are flipping the roles and holding themselves at a higher level than everyone else. I am genuinely sorry that my great great (maybe there are more greats) grandfather owned slaves. However, that has absolutely nothing to do with me or anything that I have done. Therefore, it may be a good idea that we stop using color and gender for gain, and stop thinking that I personally owe anything to you.
Is that wrong to ask? I do not think that I owe anyone anything other than what they deserve. Why would someone want a job that they got based on their color or gender anyway? Why are we so focused in on affirmative action at all? Does the government feel like they have to right a wrong that happened earlier in history?
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4 comments:
You are on the mark with your comments on affirmitive action. I understand why it was created but I feel we are sending the incorrect message. There will always be discrimination in the world at that is a shame but I think that a person should be hired on qualifications or accepted in school on their qualifications. I am sure this will get a lot of peoploe angry, but I think you should ALWAYS stand up for what you believe is right!
You are right on with your comments. I do not believe you should have different standards for different ethnic people. If you are the best qualified it should not matter what color your skin is or what gender you are. I certainly do not think you should be admitted to school because of your skin color. I do not think you are doing any child a favor by doing that. Affirmative action is like any other government involvement. It starts out to be a good thing but ends up just too much government in our business.
I totally agree that the most qualified person for the job should receive the job. Affirmative action is doing nothing for our country but making race and gender a bigger issue. Instead of disregarding gender and race and picking qualified employees, companies have no choice but to categorize their workers. Because of affirmative action they have to group the black, hispanic, white, and female to make sure that they have employees of a certain type. Race and gender becomes a bigger issue than integration.
However I do not agree with you when you said that it is ok that colleges and schools use affirmative action. I understand that a diverse campus is important, but having the brightest and most hardworking students is more important. My uncle applied to medical school and did not get in the first time around. However when he applied again and marked on his application that he was from a small rural town he was accepted. This seems absurd to me. He ended up graduating first in his class, so obviously he was very qualified. Yet, if he did not find something different about himself to put on his application he might have never been a doctor because of affrimative action.
I do not know about you, but if I have open heart surgery I could care less what gender or race my surgeon was. I would just want the most qualified person to be operating.
I think that since they have to have a certain percentage of a certain race or gender is actually creating racism. I do not understand how some can say that since racism exists, we should have a set number of a race or gender, because that is exactly what racism is. I completely agree with your point about how we should not be punished for what our ancestors did hundreds of years ago. None of us had anything to do with the pain they felt for slavery so we should not be put at a disadvantage for their mistakes. I think that it is unfair to those who worked hard in high school to not get in to a college because that college is trying to balance the number of people from each race. If you have higher test scores and more extracurricular, you should be the one who gets in as opposed to the student who is less qualified. I believe that this also applies in the workforce. If someone has more experience and will do a better job than the other applicant, they should get the job. I think our culture is so focused on being political correct that they do not think about what they are enforcing is actually doing.
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