Saturday, November 8, 2008

Affirmative Action Is Still Needed

Cindy Kilkenny had put up a post the other day that echoes a continuing argument from the right. The argument is that Affirmative Action is no longer needed for two basic reasons. One, being that the the nation has recently elected its first African American president, supposedly showing that there is no more racism. The second line of argument is that the number of people that are considered minorities, added together, will outnumber the people that are classified as white.

Both of these arguments are demonstratively false.

For the second argument first, just because the population of one group of ethnic types outnumber another doesn't prevent prejudism. The glaring example would be South Africa and apartheid. Even though blacks vastly outnumbered whites, it were the whites that held the power and were able to dictate based on their legalized racism. Likewise, just because the class labeled as minorities, when combined, outnumbers whites, it does not mean that they would automatically get a fair shake in life.

The first line of argument is even more laughable than the second. The first commenter on Cindy's post had an interested train of thought:

Leapin // Nov 6, 2008 at 1:02 pm

It’s either BO needed affirmative action to become president or its BO didn’t need affirmative action to become president. If it’s the former then there a case can be made that BO wasn’t the best qualified person just the politically correct color. If it’s the latter then affirmative action should end. Affirmative action is just politically correct discrimination. Treating people fairly and respectfully should come from the heart not the law. I don’t think continuation of affirmative active is in the best spirit of “uniting”.

Leapin never considered the fact that Obama might have been the better choice, and was more qualified, but wouldn't have even had the chance to prove himself if it wasn't for Affirmative Action, either directly or indirectly.

I do agree with Leapin in the sense that treating people fairly and respectfully should come from the heart, and not the law. Unfortunately, there are too many examples in just recent days showing that until society matures enough, there is still a need for the law to remain in place.

For example, there was a cross burning in New Jersey, in the yard of some Obama supporters. During the campaign, we had this button from the Texas GOP. We had the Curious George/Obama shirts in Georgia, which Rush Limbaugh found so endearing. Yard signs in Florida. James Byrd. Brandon McClelland. The KKK.

And speaking of Rush, how about when he not only played, but defended, "Barack The Magic Negro."

The list could go on forever. And as long as it goes on, America will need Affirmative Action, and will need it until crap like this stops.

14 comments:

  1. Our concept of justice includes the idea that the victim of wrongdoing should be restored by the wrongdoer to the position he would have been in had the wrong not occurred. It is not enough for the wrongdoer to cease doing wrong.

    It is not enough, therefore, to simply stop discriminating. Justice demands some effort to undo the effects of the discrimination. There may be much better ways than affirmative action to acccomplish the goal, but it certainly cannot be enough to simply say that we are now going to make all decisions without regard to color while ignoring past harms.

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  2. Chris, you're welcome to put a link to the comment on your post, but when you rewrite the entirety of comment content from my site, that's a no no.

    I'd appreciate it if you'd make the change to your post.

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  3. Cindy,

    Sorry about the link. I never bothered to check to see if the numbers were the permalink.

    And I wasn't rewriting anything in regards to the other comments. Furthermore, the first paragraph expands my argument to the entire population of anti-Affirmative Action people, not just to you or your commenters. The post stays intact with the exception of adding the link to Leapin's comment.

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  4. My argument is that you printed Leapin's comment, a copyrighted component on my blog, in entirety on your site. It would be quite different if you printed a sentence and then managed the link.

    In this way you have violated a legal copyright. Unfortunately, you, like so many others, feel that you are entitled to do so.

    How sad. It redefines you in so many ways.

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  5. Cindy,

    You answered your own complaint. It is a component of the post, not the entire post. I also gave full acknowledgment of who wrote what and where it came from.

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  6. Affirmative action - no matter how you want to wrap it and justify it, favors one race over other races - and that is against the core principles of our nation.

    Students are a good example. You have student A that worked hard, studied hard, and is an honor student. You then have student B that made the choice to NOT do any of what student A did, but affirmative action will have student B get into a university while snubbing student A - a more qualified applicant.

    Affirmative action favors blacks and is not really a minority issue. For example, if student A above is of Chinese decent he/she would be snubbed at a less qualified black student B.

    It's a horrible and racist concept that is hate-based against other races.

    Grow up and end your hate.

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  7. How convenient for us white folks!

    Much as we might like to do something to repair the detrimental effects of past racial discrimination, we just can't because it might require us to make distinctions based upon race and that's simply hateful.

    Better luck next time!

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  8. justadog-

    Your argument is justabunchofgarbage.
    It would only hold true if the minorities were given the same chances, which they aren't.

    You are the type of person that created the need for this law in the first place.

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  9. capper: you're a racist of the most awful kind - willing to manipulate entire races to accomplish some perverted hate goals.

    You're problem is you still label people as black or white or minority or whatever.

    I see every person (legal) in American as Americans - and everyone has the same chance - except YOU - who wishes to change, by government force, that concept of equality.

    By trying to promote affirmative action you are trying to say blacks need some sort of crutch to get ahead. I have black friends that would strongly disagree with you - because they have brains.

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  10. And here I though eagles were supposed to have keen eyesight, but you are seeing things that don't exist in most of the country.

    You make some wild accusations for someone who doesn't know me or my history, but that is besides the point. The point is equality and parity are not hate goals.

    My advise would be to do some soul searching to figure out why you're so afraid of everyone being given a level playing field.

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  11. You make some wild accusations for someone who doesn't know me or my history

    I don't care about you - I care about equality for Americans. Your selfish motives are apparent.

    why you're so afraid of everyone being given a level playing field

    Affirmative action does not make a level playing field. Why don't you call it what it really is - a racist handicap that few people, like yourself, think select people need because you think they don't possess the same equal capabilities of others.

    Spin it any way you want you selfish hateful liberal.

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  12. For someone who runs a couple of paranoid hate blogs, I am not too concerned about your unsubstantiated accusations.

    You should learn to let go of your hate and fear, you'll live longer and healthier.

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  13. LOL

    Typical liberal - when someone possesses truth and conveys that truth you become a quick-draw with the labels.

    Conservatives motivate with challenge and reward with opportunity and success.

    Liberals motivate with guilt and have no rewards - just more guilt and victimism.

    If someone stands for equality and against racism liberals call that person hateful or racist.

    Another tactic of liberals is to bring up old history of black slavery - things before anyone here was born. (They never bring up all the blacks that owned black and Asian slaves - only whites).

    You continue your guilt motivation but I'm too intelligent for that - you'll have to pour it on weaker minds.

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  14. I never doubted your intelligence. Only your mental health. A smart person, not blinded by paranoic rage, would have seen that.

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