Affirmative Action
There’s
no doubt America has a lengthy history of discrimination against minorities,
both on racial and gender lines.
But is it possible to fix wrongs that span hundreds of years? Enter affirmative action, a popular
–but controversial policy that attempts to right the wrongs of American
history. Affirmative action works
similar to a quota system – although courts have consistently ruled that quota
systems are illegal. Basically, the policy requires that a certain amount of
jobs or educational positions be given to historically oppressed groups and
minorities. It’s difficult to find
a person who would deny the fact that if possible, wrongs should be righted,
however affirmative action could potentially penalize innocent people.
However,
affirmative action could further the discussion surrounding minority
treatment. This blog, in effect,
is even furthering the discussion of this issue. Because of affirmative action, many people will become aware
of racial issues that may not have been aware before this policy. Many
opponents to affirmative action contend that racial blindness would be a better
substitute. In the course textbook, Taking Sides, author Glenn C. Loury
argues that racial-blindness is not possible in the workplace or education, nor
should it be necessary. He states
that personal identities are intricately entwined with race as well as other
factors. Thus, racial blindness is
a superficial ideal. The
success of diversity depends first on getting diversity into the workplace and
educational institutions.
Opposing
affirmative action is author Walter E. Williams. He asserts that civil rights leaders fought against the use
of race when hiring for jobs, or admittance into public universities. But today, civil rights activists fight
for the use of race. His main
argument against affirmative action is that it is a zero-sum game. With affirmative action, one person’s
gains directly result in another’s loss.
When more black students are admitted to a college to fill a quota, it
directly matches admission lost by whites and other groups who academically may
have had better SAT scores in the application process. Williams argues that
race should be taken out of the equation, and test scores should speak for
themselves. He also states that
affirmative action could result in racial resentment.
As
a white woman, affirmative action could stand to benefit me when looking for
jobs after college. But I don’t
want a job that would be offered to me as a way to fill a quota of women in the
workplace. I don’t want handouts;
I want to earn the job because my skills supersede the skill sets of another
person. But historically, women
have not undergone the extent of inequality as minorities have. On a racial
level, no one can deny the centuries of wrongs that have occurred towards
minorities. If affirmative action
is a way to right even a fraction of those wrongs, I can’t deny the rightness
of the policy.
Race and Gender in American Politics
In
U.S. Congressional history, there has been a disproportionate amount of white,
male congressmen to minorities and women elected into office. On May 10, 2013, The Pew Research
Center released a set of statistics showing that by 2060, only 43% of the
voting population will be white, versus the 85% voting now. Mother Jones on
November 20, 2012 stated that only 19% of congress is women, and that number
isn’t projected to rise any time soon.
With
the two-term election of the nation’s first black president, hopes were high
that more blacks would win elections for top offices. But, that hasn’t been the case, according to USA Today on
January 20, 2013. “The Obama Effect” created a ripple among potential minority
candidates, but it hasn’t produced any outcomes. The article goes on to state that since Obama’s first
presidential election in 2008, there was just one black state governor, five
years later that number hasn’t changed.
In the Senate there were no elected senators in Obama’s first year as
president, and there still aren’t any today. In the House of Representative, 39 blacks held elected seats
five years ago, just 42 are in elected office today. The previously cited Pew Research Center holds that one
reason for disproportionate representation of blacks and white is that fewer
black voters show up at the polls.
But that trend is changing.
The last few presidential elections have seen the largest black voter
turnout in American history, due to President Obama. While there isn’t a way to immediately fix the lack of
governmental representation of blacks, the future could hold better-contested
elections by people of all races.
Concerning
gender equality in the highest elected offices, the U.S. lags behind most of
the rest of the world. The
previously cited Mother Jones article states that just 19% of all congressional
officials are women in the U.S., whereas in Sweden 43% of the legislature is
women, and in Rwanda over 50% of legislature jobs are held by women. But NBC News on June 8, 2013 argues
that many women are discouraged from running for public office because of
stereotypical gender roles. Women
face more hardships in the candidate race than men do. Typically, women still have to raise
their children, and take care of their families on top of holding public offices;
typically men play a lesser role in the family setting. The media also plays a large role in
discouraging women from running for office. At times, too much attention is paid to what women
candidates are wearing, versus their platforms for office. And women must appear tougher on issues
than men so that their demeanor is not interpreted as weak.
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