who thinks affirmative action is unfair?
411012
Just as slavery was accepted, but morally bankrupt when compared to the phrase " all men are created equal", affirmative action is accepted by some, but morally bankrupt.  Equal opportunity for all should be taken at its face value, not perverted to raise one group of people over another.
573321
I loved these articles by Walter Williams (Professor of Economics).  He states exactly how I feel about affirmative action way more eloquently than I ever could.  You should give them a read, if you really value diversity and are open minded, then you might find them interesting.
1049718
Affirmative action does nothing but legalize racism and discrimination for every race except whites and serves as punishment for slavery that ended 150 years ago.\n\nWhat is truly sad is that the slaves were prisoners from the inter tribal wars in Africa and were sold into slavery by their own people.\n\nSo in all actuality they have been pissed off for hundreds of years at the end consumer instead of their own people that sold them into slavery in the first place.\n\nBy the way, my ancestors came to this country in 1932 so quit treating me like my family enslaved your family.
454968
so if the program was completely filled with only indians, would you find this discrimination against other races? what if it was only white people, would it make a difference? my best guess at quota systems is that they are designed to prevent racial monopoly. ie all white schools have to let in other racial groups. the whole thing is racism regardless of fairness. no race should create a monopoly in any resource and then block out other races from having equal oppurtunity.  maybe this is not happening in your situation, then im sorry if your being discriminated against
637172
That bothers me to. I am white & honest to goodness most black people have been better to me than whites have. i am good to people that deserve it regardless of their race,age,size or sexual prefrences. But I also had a great Mother & Father that taught me that ! Alot of racism is from people not being taught that everyone is equal !!!
958558
I agree 100%.  That was the entire problem with affirmative action--on the one hand non-whites cried and cried and cried that they wanted to be treated equally so when the government gave preferential treatment to non-whites they accepted it whole-heartedly (which was NOT for equality but for preferential treatment.)  Non-whites got into college with lower SAT and ACT scores simply because of their race.  When affirmative action was done away with here in California, the number of non-whites going to college fell way back down and now there are cries of racism by non-whites accusing the government of not giving non-whites preferential treatment.  Simply stated, non-whites want to get into college without having to work as hard as whites do.  If I were not white I would HATE affirmative action because it states implicitly that non-whites are simply too dumb to compete with whites.  \n\nMost ethnic holidays do tend to divide the culture a little bit, but not as much as you may think.  I don't think I've EVER met a Mexican who knows what Cinco de Mayo is even celebrating.  All they know is it a time to watch mom and dad get drunk on Coronas and play mariachi music until some non-Mexican neighbors can't take it any more and call the cops.  NO black person really celebrates Quansa and NONE of them have a clue what they are supposed to be celebrating anyway.  So I don't give those holidays much thought anyway.  But concepts like black-history month are definately preferential to blacks.  And as a white teacher it is a no-win situation.  If I DON'T teach special things during black history month, the black students ask me why I don't.  So then if I DO devote special time to teach about black heros or black issues then the SAME students ask me what I'm doing trying to teach blacks about THEIR culture--they ARE black.  They think that simply by being born black they somehow have innate knowledge about their history.  Believe me--they DON'T.  Neither did I have an innate knowledge of white history by being born white.\n\nIt is a volatile subject no how you approach it though.
952744
I haven't personally but my mom told me that when she was pregnant with me she went and tried to get a part-time job working at the local library and they interviewed her and told her she was perfect for the job and they would love to hire her but they'd been told by the boss that they had to hire an African American. I think also opportunities for ALL kids scholarship/admissions wise can be limited these days with people bent on meeting racial requirements instead of who deserves them. I think colleges/bosses/etc should have blindfolds on when it comes to your skin color no matter what color you are.
784293
I'm a woman, and I'm kind of against affirmative action.  I think that a person should be hired based on merit, not his or her race or gender.  I really wouldn't like working at a job where I was hired mainly because I am a woman, and the company doesn't want to appear sexist.
850865
Affirmative action policies were put into place to assist women and minorities in getting their foot in the workforce and/or colleges around the United States.  It basically shut down the "good ol' boy network" and created a more diverse workforce.  No-one can deny that this country at one time limited women and minorities from getting ahead.  In the work force, if you were a hiring manager you might be asked to meet goals (hire 1 qualified african american applicant along with the 20 white males already working in your department; or as a college admission officer accept 5 qualified females along with the 100 males you gave the thumbs up to)  Of course no one in their right mind wants affirmative action to be a necessary thing (that's simply a no-brainer)... but it was and it still is needed.  However, there is a new generation coming up the line who never experienced the before world and think that affirmative action is a form of discrimination and want it put to rest.  More power to them.  I think we're still another fifty years away from that dream though... only time will tell.
1079555
I can't help but wonder where everyone's sense is. I don't know about "owed something," but if the majority of Americans truly believe that people of color are *not* discriminated against in our society, we are in a very sad state.\n\nRead the Constitution, people. The US Constitution and Bill of Rights is one of the most incredible documents ever written. One of its overall purposes was to establish a government that PROTECTED THE MINORITY FROM THE MAJORITY. Because in all times and all places, it is the minority that NEEDS protection.\n\nWhen I hear people say that Hispanics and blacks are lazy welfare bums, I want to scream. Do any of you truly believe that a mom chooses to live in a studio apartment with her kids with maybe $47 a month left over for clothes, soap. laundry, transportation, entertainment, school lunch, birthday gifts, furniture, dishes, pencils, toilet paper, shampoo, books and aluminum foil because she's trying to take advantage of you!? One minute's thought should dispel THAT belief. They do it because they stumbled into the situation, and can find no way out of it.\n\nNo, not all people of color are in that situation, but there are reasons that a higher percentage of the poor people in our country are minorities. It is because, in spite of what you say, they DO NOT have the same opportunities as the majority. Every day I read numerous posts here that begin, "I am not a racist, but . . ." and then they paint every black or brown American with the same lazy, stupid, criminal, drug addict brush. The people writing some of those posts are the people doing the hiring.\n\nAgain, in every society, the marginalized minority *is* the group that commits the most crimes per capita. Why? What the heck have they got to lose? \n\nCan you imagine what it's like being pulled over for "driving while black?" I can't. I am over 50, and I've been pulled over ONCE. Will Smith, one of the best-known, richest, and most respected African-Americans, said that he drives a fancy car and lives in a fancy neighborhood and gets pulled over about ONCE A MONTH. How do you think that kind of harassment might change your attitudes and behaviors? What might happen to your self-esteem if every time you walked into a store, the owner followed 20 steps behind you blatently staring at you?\n\nIf there's one science book between 5 students, aren't we all responsible for the kids' poor education? Should that mom above stop buying toilet paper to save up for six months for a $140 science book?\n\nEach individual must be held responsible for his own behavior. But to pretend that there's some kind of inborn propensity for evil among some groups is not only stupid, it's how societies fall.\n\nBTW, I am white. I am not currently on welfare, but have been. I am a single mom. I tend toward political conservatism, and I am ashamed of my countrymen's lack of understanding of simple social dynamics. Americans are ONE people with a beautiful tapestry of varied roots. The sooner we realize it, the better off this country will be. And if we don't, it will tear us apart at the seams. In fact, it already is.\n\nI don't know the answers. I know that things are a bit better than they were 50 years ago. But sometimes I wonder if it might not have been easier when words like ni**er and spi*k weren't politically incorrect. At least then people didn't start their rants with "I am not a racist, but . . ." The lines, at least, were clearer.
889832
I dont. I think when women make that statement, they need to really think about it first.\nWhen I think about equality, its more about fairness. If Im doing a mans job, which I am, I should be paid equally. I work my as* off picking up 60-80 lb cases and I certainly dont wait for my male coworkers to come and help. If I took the job, I should be able to do it. \n I also believe that if I ask a man out for a drink then I should be the one paying and not get pissed off when he doesnt automatically open his wallet.
1078205
Yes, I believe it is, but not in the way you might think.  Today white people face the institutionalized discrimination of affirmative action.  The country used to be 90% white (in the 50s) but now we're being overrun by millions of third world immigrants -- within 50 years and maybe less white people will be a minority in a country we founded (and yes we did found this country, all of the Founding Fathers were white)  And with the stigma of "racism" we're not allowed to say anything about it because that would be hopelessly racist.  White people are being asked to accept our own dispossession, the balkanization of our country and our future minority status.
1174020
It's only fair because minorities are the majority. I believe u are the only one that's offended that's if u are a middle-class white person. Love thy neighbor as thyself.
865488
this is my answer, my reason, personally:\n\nAffirmative Action. It is just as wrong to give women preference as it is to give a minority preference. Being a woman or being black does not make you special or bring anything to the table.\n\nWould you like to be operated on by a surgeon who was hired via an Affirmative action?\n\n-so, if a black person is an affirmative action baby than no, I do not like them.
1084885
I strongly agree with u on every1 being equal. Seriously, thats how I think. I don't think that the color of a person determines how smart they are, or who they are. However, I think some people are racist because they see difference as something bad.
780933
Only time well tell if this was good for america ! My view on affirmative action is it was racist , racist against both blacks and whites . I think it was a slap in the face to blacks , like saying you cant get jobs so well make to where you have too . Pretty messed up
378254
i believe affirmative action should be used to get a qualified   persons foot in the door. if not encouraged or ordered some companies, businesses etc.. would not provide minorities an opportunity to work. but once a person is hired i believe they should be promoted etc..on their own merit. i do not believe in special exams and test for certain people.. and i feel the employment test should pertain to the job. an intelligent person would want to hire the best man or woman for the job no matter what color..ethnic or religion.also the staff should be representative of the clients...at some point, if a diversed group of people eat at a restuarant than a diverse group should work at the restuarant,   how u understand..that getting in is everyones concern.. staying in or moving up is your own.