No, they are not code words, they are serious problems. It is lame to expect to get proportional representation in all fields, without regard to patterns of education, civic demographics, or personal preferences. If one does find a way to fill the quota, it is likely to be with underqualified personnel, merely to insulate against lawsuits. Additionally, persons who deserve positions on the basis of merit would be harmed to no good purpose.
In the case of reverse discrimination, it makes sense to make racial diversity a factor in hiring, but not so strong a factor that it harms the efficiency of the organization, by mandating dubious hires, or that it completely undermines the idea of merit. These kinds of "affirmative action" are remarkably patronizing, as well as being polarizing....... |
