Affirmative action? Yes, no, somewhat?

In this day in age affirmative action is no longer necessary. Prejudice and bias are nowhere near as bad as they were even 10 years ago. Caucasians are nearly becoming the minority in the U.S.

If you send in two identical resumes for jobs, one with a “black-sounding” name and one with a “caucasian-sounding” name, the white-sounding name gets substantially more calls back than the other.

Until we can eliminate bias on that level, we need to find another way to equalize things. Unfortunately affirmative action seems like the best solution we have so far.

I agree with Niki. You can say that prejudice and bias aren’t bad; however, I would have to disagree. We’ve just become more p.c. with the whole thing. I don’t think affirmative action should be around because I feel that the most qualified person should get the job. Even though I say that, I see the importance of it, especially when it comes to people who would not even entertain the idea of hiring a minority, no matter what the qualifications were.

@ nikipedia +mteutsch:

I’m gonna play devil’s advocate for a sec…

It seems that you two are focusing on the white and black aspects of this controversy. You haven’t addressed the other minorities that aren’t favored by affirmative action. For example, it is well-established that asians are hurt by the current forms of affirmative action.

Besides that, you two are making sense to me right now.

@Eambos: Caucasians in the minority?! Really? I’m not being hostile or anything, but where did u see that info?

I checked the stats and this what I saw.

2006 estimate, with about a 120,000 margin of error: White only (as in doesn’t consider oneself any other race, except hispanic) in America: 221,331,507. Next largest: Black only: 37,051,483 w/ a 40,000 margin of error. Hispanic? 44,252,278 w/ about a 10,000 margin of error. Sure, there may be flaws in how we define race, but clearly, Caucasians are pretty far from becoming the minority.

Source:
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?bm=y&geo_id=01000US&-qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_DP5&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00&_lang=en&-_sse=on

I agree with you niki. Affirmative action affects more that just African Americans. It affects women too, right?

I’m a white male, and I think it is still important to use affirmitive action. Even today, as equal as we think we are. Without it, we will slip back to where we were in no time.

I do not trust people with power to do the right thing with society in whole in mind.

I feel affirmative action is reverse discrimination. I feel the most qualified person would get the job. I got passed up for a job by a triple minority who did not have near my qualifications. How is that fair to me and my family.

I believe this is similar to my last thread about reverse racism. Why on earth is it ok to PROMOTE people based on their skin color or heritage when the demand that they not be discriminated against? Isn’t this sitting on both sides of the fence?

You can’t have it both ways. I am a minority, a CHICK, and would never want a position/job over someone else because of that, it should be the MOST QUALIFIED FOR THE JOB.

Now by just giving the position to a less qualified person because of their race, color, heritage, nationality or sex defeats the bottom line of success in business…

AS A BUSINESS OWNER I WANT THE BEST PERSON FOR THE JOB.

Just giving businesses a quota doesn’t necessarily get the BEST results & is terribly unfair to those who worked very hard at their craft. Not to mention is not an accurate way to get more minorities into jobs.

Come up with a different way to manage this & I fully support it, but u cannot trust numbers or statistics, ask any politician, you can bend them in your favor in so many ways.

Absolutely no:

Everybody knows two wrongs do not make a right.