Ted,
What's your definition of affirmative action?
Steve, I will respond to your question under the assumption that we are both adults and we will act accordingly. My definition is the same as the legal one.....minorities and women are given a slight edge during hiring practices, the awarding of gov't contracts etc.
Hint:
Equal rights and affirmative action is not the same thing.
Anyone who is white and male in this society knows that discrimination still exists......that frequently, other white males are favored over minorities and women. In one of the polls Tim posted, it said that 97% of corporate senior office mgmt is white and male as of the date of the poll.
I am sure many minorities would be ashamed that they got work because of favored status, especially when it comes to those who are entrepreneurs. However, about seven years ago, I met on a job a Latino contractor who was in his 30's.....and he said had it not been for affirmative action, he would never have made it. Even then, after 15 years of doing good work, 90% of his jobs were gov't.......and he had long ago given up the notion of being ashamed over the issue.
And of course, there are the sly jokes and the veiled references that go on from time to time. People are more careful now than they were say ten years ago, but the jokes are still there. After all, what other legitimate way is there for white guys to justify why they are not going up the ladder very quickly, and a woman or a black is. ;~))
ted |
