Affirmitive Action...right or wrong?

A group that wants to ban race or gender preference in state hiring, contracting and university admissions launched a petition drive Monday to get the initiative on the 2008 ballot.

I think this is a step in the right direction. Im not racist in anyway shape or form. I believe in equality based on merit, effort, and intelligence. I think allowing students whom are of different race into a college with less merit than a "white" student is and always has been wrong.

Of course the "minorities" are fighting this claiming that "its a step in the wrong direction for racial equality"

Affimitive action is segregation, and infringes on the "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness" for people whom even have more value to society (not based on race, based on intelligence)

As a white male, I am quite frankly sick and tired of being profiled as a "racist" because I am white.

Blacks are allowed "BET" and "Black History Month" (Feb.) and allowed to openly make racial slurs on TV without any repercussion or punishment. (black comedians use cracker and honkey and redneck etc)

However, any white male using racial slurs is not ok. In fact it ruins careers and well beings for certain individuals

We would never be allowed "White history month"

Our Society has made it ok.

The end to affirmitive action is one step closer to desegregation in my opinion.

Making people responsible for their own future based on hard work, dedication, and morals is a step in the right direction for everyone.

If I was a black parent, and knew my child was being passed based on skin color would make me furious.

Any kind of "movement" is wrong

Feminist, miniorities all of them. Because all they want is the good and never the bad that comes with equality.

We need to stop seperating ourselves and be responsible for our own actions based on our own character and not our skin tone. Affirmitive action is an excuse for people of color to be lazy and of less value. Doesnt anyone take pride in their accomplishments? Wouldnt you like to know you got through the education system based on your merit?

A lot of things need to change. People in general...I know...trust me.

But people of color need to realize that white blood has been spilled in the name of equality, the same as black, hispanic, and asian.

I dont see skin tone, I just see people

Affirmative action is useless. In Malaysia there is a form of affirmative action for bumiputras, that is, indigenous locals such as the Malays and other groups native to the land. The plan was to bring the Malays and other bumiputras to economic parity with the other races, most notably the Chinese, who are the main drivers of the economy.

So how has it panned out? Not well. The Malays are now uncompetitive, relying more on government handouts than their own drive. The Malays are useless now. Scrap the bumiputra benefit thing, they don't deserve it because after God knows how many years, bumiputras didn't capitalize on the preferential treatment.

So yeah, affirmative action in any form is useless and counter-productive.

I believe Affirmative Action is based on a good concept, but almost always extemely badly implemented. Quotas fit the criticism mentioned in the first post. They can cause the most competent to be eliminated and appreciably less competent to be chosen. I suggest a different system.

We must recognize that many groups are discriminated against: Women, those with more pigmentation in their skin, the young, the old, the poor, the uneducated, the handicapped, other ethnic groups, those whose sexual practices are different from the norm, those with different or no religious beliefs, etc.

Assign each of these classes a factor from 0.01 to 0.10. Those who don't fit any of the above classes would be given a factor of 0.00.

When selecting someone for a job, for admission to a school, for a position, etc. define all the characteristics needed for it. Determine the rating of each of these for each of he applicants. Add up each person's factors. Then multiply the total for each person by 1 plus his/her factor.

This gives a slight advantage to those discriminated against, but it would not outweigh significant differences in competence. Positions would still be filled by those who are most deserving of them.

Over time, as people get used to having those who were formerly discriminated against in these positions, there will be a shift where more than their population percent is filling the jobs. At that point their factor should be lowered. Gradually, all of those formerly discriminated against groups will have 0.00 factors and the whole Affirmative Action system will no longer be needed.

Occam