Free Essays on Affrimative Action

Affirmative Action Affirmative action is a major legal issue in our country today. Many people have many different opinions on the subject today. Some say that it is a moral issue that has nothing to do with the legal system. However others say it is a necessity in order for blacks and woman to catch up to the white males who have suppressed them throughout history. I think this issue is an important one because it has to do with discrimination on both sides. I will be explaining the opinion of authors Charles Murray and James P. Sterba, and the problems I see with affirmative action. Charles Murray has an approach to affirmative action that most people that are against do not argue. He argues that affirmative action hurts minorities, and will continue to hurt them in the future. He feels that it is making things worse, not better for society. He comes up with a group of people that he labels the new racists. These new racists are typically well intentioned white people who firmly believe in affirmative action. They do not think blacks are inferior, and they support civil rights. They do not look at blacks with malice as the old racists did. These new racists think that minorities are only there because the company has to hire a certain number of them. This can hurt the minorities self of steam and job. Murray also suggests that using affirmative action programs in college applications is a bad situation for minorities to get into. An example would be two seniors in high school, one black and one white. They each score the same on their ACT. With the affirmative action programs the black kid goes to Harvard, and the white kid attends Purdue. The kid that attends Harvard does not have the background to make good achievements. He is frustrated and begins to feel a low self-esteem. The black kid either drops out or continues his low grades at Harvard with a feeling that he does not belong. The white kid is rec... Free Essays on Affrimative Action Free Essays on Affrimative Action Affirmative Action Affirmative action is a plan made to end discrimination by guaranteeing minorities will be hired. The United States uses this practice to hire, but the qualifications of such people are occasionally overlooked. Many people believe that affirmative action is a very effective plan. The other people who oppose such action include people of various minorities, as well as many others who have been wronged by the plan. We live in a small town where there are very few minorities but in the big cities, it’s a very big deal. In several cases, this plan causes minorities to be thought of as being under qualified when hired and it also causes a new minority, the white male. Our government needs to acknowledge the fact that affirmative action is not putting an end to discrimination. This plan has succeeded in creating new minorities and more reasons for discrimination. Affirmative action frequently causes qualified employees to be looked down upon because some believe them to be "affirmative action hires." My boss at work is a woman and as a result I have encountered many discriminatory comments pertaining to her position. The first remark I usually receive suggestions that she was hired for her position solely based on gender. You might have also encountered a negative remark about a woman in your family such as: "Well, being a woman probably didn't hurt her resume." My boss is very good at her manager job yet most males look down upon her as being hired because of affirmative action. This type of criticism is received by many minorities holding good jobs, whether they are qualified or not. William Reynolds, assistant attorney general in the civil rights division states, â€Å"In many cases, affirmative action takes away from legitimate minority success. People look at the black banker downtown who has made it on his own and say, ‘He got hi s job because of affirmative action.’† People of any race or gender shou... Free Essays on Affrimative Action Affirmative Action Affirmative action is a major legal issue in our country today. Many people have many different opinions on the subject today. Some say that it is a moral issue that has nothing to do with the legal system. However others say it is a necessity in order for blacks and woman to catch up to the white males who have suppressed them throughout history. I think this issue is an important one because it has to do with discrimination on both sides. I will be explaining the opinion of authors Charles Murray and James P. Sterba, and the problems I see with affirmative action. Charles Murray has an approach to affirmative action that most people that are against do not argue. He argues that affirmative action hurts minorities, and will continue to hurt them in the future. He feels that it is making things worse, not better for society. He comes up with a group of people that he labels the new racists. These new racists are typically well intentioned white people who firmly believe in affirmative action. They do not think blacks are inferior, and they support civil rights. They do not look at blacks with malice as the old racists did. These new racists think that minorities are only there because the company has to hire a certain number of them. This can hurt the minorities self of steam and job. Murray also suggests that using affirmative action programs in college applications is a bad situation for minorities to get into. An example would be two seniors in high school, one black and one white. They each score the same on their ACT. With the affirmative action programs the black kid goes to Harvard, and the white kid attends Purdue. The kid that attends Harvard does not have the background to make good achievements. He is frustrated and begins to feel a low self-esteem. The black kid either drops out or continues his low grades at Harvard with a feeling that he does not belong. The white kid is rec...