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originally posted by: theantediluvian
a reply to: Gothmog
Actually, Affirmative Action started in 1961 with JFK. I chose 1966 because it was the first year after both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
As a minority, I think that if my own government needs to give me a hand up when competing with white people then that law is, by definition, racist.
Because they are treating me different because of my race.
Simplistic enough?
Level the playing field. Period.
originally posted by: tkwasny
The argument I've had to endure is that there are those with untapped potential that need a societal shot of ether starting fluid to get the engine to turn over and kick in. "You or I don't know if they are out there or if they are going to respond and become great, productive citizens." My retort is you steal limited opportunity from a high probability success, ensuring their delayed success at best or discouraging them to check out of society altogether, to force feed a proven failure hoping the leopard changes its spots. It was close to a fist fight at that point.
originally posted by: Xcalibur254
a reply to: ElGoobero
Integrated access doesn't really make a difference when these communities were never really given the opportunity to catch up in the first place. These areas were already lower income with schools that received less funding before integration. Since school funding is tied to an areas wealth and school performance these areas were already playing against a stacked deck.
The point of affirmative action was to eventually get these communities to a level playing field. Like I said previously, it's hardly an optimal solution but it's better than simply abandoning these communities.
originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Cutepants
The main problem is that some communities do not have a recent history of valuing education like others do. Asians live, breathe and die education for the most part. It doesn't matter their socio-economic status, it's a part of their culture to value education. That's why you see so many Asian children excelling.
Whites used to have that cultural emphasis, but we're slipping.
Blacks valued education quite a bit right about the time of the Civil Rights era, but that value has eroded along with their family structure.
The problems go back into the home, so it's more than just providing access to a good school. As has been pointed out in other threads, Africans (real ones from countries like Nigeria) come into this country and kill it. They're hungry and prepared to succeed and also better educated. Some of them did not have anything like what your typical inner city kid spits on as a crap school, too. Some of them learned their basics on mud floors.
It's about your culture and what you value. In order to really help a lot of these kids and rescue them, you are looking at having to restructure parts of society as a whole, not just the schools.
originally posted by: JBurns
a reply to: Xcalibur254
If the money follows the student (vs. the school) public schools would have incentive to be more competitive and would also provide the funding required for students wishing to attend schools traditionally outside their economic scope
originally posted by: JBurns
a reply to: M5xaz
The one area we can improve on is the ridiculous number of black adult males imprisoned for non-violent drug offenses. Trump's current consideration of de-scheduling Marijuana will vastly reduce the money wasted on incarcerating non-violent drug offenders (for that particular substance) and have the net result of putting more black adult men back in the home with their families.
We would see true generational changes and give black Americans the needed familial structures to succeed.
originally posted by: elementalgrove
originally posted by: shawmanfromny
a reply to: elementalgrove
Well the inner city schools suck in my city, along with many of the teachers. In addition, attendance at these schools, is abysmal. If parents don't care about their kid's future, why should the kid?
It is absolutely atrocious what are educational system has devolved into.
originally posted by: ErrorErrorError
Had Obama invented cure for cancer Trump would scrap it and American rednecks would think it's about fighting "globuuuhhliissts".