Affirmative Action ... Stays in Action

Well the verdict is out. Even though the Supreme Court said that they found University of Michigan's undergraduate point based admissions model unconstitutional, they still left the door open for race to be considered as a factor for admissions. Sadly, this will keep affirmative action policies in use across the United States for many years to come.

It is naive to think that there is no racism left in this country but I think it is a bigger mistake to think that affirmative action addresses this problem. There is affirmative action in the classroom, next undergrad, next grad, next law school and med school, next the workplace, next... Can anyone say for certain when it will end?

Short term solutions create long term problems.

Posted in: Politics,

2 Comments:

• Tai on June 28, 2003 ~ 02:02 AM

  The only case where Affirmative Action (AA) helps race the most is in undergarduate admissions. When accounting for extended learning and the workforce, the group of individuals most helped by AA is women. I do agree that AA is far from perfect, but it’s perhaps one of the best options we have. My support for it stems from the mid 1960’s panethnic movement. I would like to note however that AA is not a temporary solution–instead, it’s a very permanent solution in its early stages. One that has not yet evolved into something greater.
  
  

• joezers on June 28, 2003 ~ 06:18 PM

  AA doesn’t help race at all, it’s a give away. If you struggled in an inner city school and the admissions program gives you 20 points, and that gets you into college, where is the help? I understand that the “culture” of inner city schools is difficult to live in, however those that will do well in a college environment should do very well in a school in which it isn’t very hard to succeed. As for the permanence of the solution, I have to agree with Mo on this one, it is a very short term solution. A true permanent solution would be to tackle the problem at its source. If we could equalize the way funding for schools worked (even at a state level) the money could be distributed evenly in all school districts. A “poor” area would get just as much funding as a “rich” area (maybe more, depending on the situation and need for police and such things), teachers in all school systems would get the same basic pay and benefits. Unfortunately, due to the Republican (read: selfish) mindset of the group that would be affected, this will not happen. But if you ask me that is a much more “permanent” solution to the problem.
  
  
  
  On a final note, there is no true permanent solution to this problem. Society will always have problems, it is a part of our nature and something I believe is inescapeable (short of a government that is so overbearing that it provides little to no freedom). Blaming where you come from is a cheap excuse, push forward, overcome your problems and be a self-made person… don’t take a handout. At any rate, I thought we were supposed to be working for a colorblind society, not one that relies on color to makes its decisions.