Ted Re...Myth 1: The only way to create a color-blind society is to adopt color-blind policies.
Although this statement sounds intuitively plausible, the reality is that color-blind policies often put racial minorities at a disadvantage.
It isn't color blind policies that put minorities at a disadvantage. It is the minority groups themselves who have a disadvantage, and until they address these disadvantages, such as education, crime, drugs, family,etc.; they will always be at a disadvantage.
Myth 2: Affirmative action has not succeeded in increasing female and minority representation.
Several studies have documented important gains in racial and gender equality as a direct result of affirmative action (Bowen & Bok, 1998; Murrell & Jones, 1996). For example, according to a report from the U.S. Labor Department, affirmative action has helped 5 million minority members and 6 million White and minority women move up in the workforce ("Reverse Discrimination," 1995).
Myth 3: Affirmative action may have been necessary 30 years ago, but the playing field is fairly level today.
Despite the progress that has been made, the playing field is far from level. Women continue to earn 76 cents for every male dollar (Bowler, 1999). Black people continue to have twice the unemployment rate of White people, twice the rate of infant mortality
Items two and three contradict each other. If the unemployment rates, and wage disparities continue despite AA, what advantages have AA given the minorities to justify its costs. Yes, AA has given minorities more representation in big businesses, who have had to satisfy quotas. On the flip side, quotas have hurt in small businesses, who are too small to be required to follow hiring quotas, and who are now leary of hiring any minorities for fear of litigation, once you hire a minority. Let me put it this way. As a small business, I am not required to hire minorities. However, once I do hire a minority, I am subject to discrimination suits if I don't promote those minorities fast enough, or if I have to dismiss them. That is a risk, I don't want to assume, so when it comes to hiring minorities, one has to be sure the extra risk is worth it.
Myth 4: The public doesn't support affirmative action anymore.
Public opinion polls suggest that the majority of Americans support affirmative action,
That is true, not only of the general public, but also of the members of this board. It is the AA based on quotas that everybody hates, not AA programs which advance minorities by increasing the skills and education levels.
Myth 5: A large percentage of White workers will lose out if affirmative action is continued.
Government statistics do not support this myth.
Agreed. The opposition to AA isn't because of job displacement; it is because jobs are being given to less qualified people based solely on race, regardless of the qualifications of the applicant.
Myth 7: You can't cure discrimination with discrimination.
The problem with this myth is that it uses the same word -- discrimination -- to describe two very different things.
Semantics. He is trying to disprove the myth by saying AA isn't discrimination, it is inclusion. Fine, however, the myth is still correct. Two wrongs don't make a right. Instead of saying the myth is wrong, he should be saying it is a myth that AA is discrimination in the first place.
Myth 9: Affirmative action is nothing more than an attempt at social engineering by liberal Democrats.
In truth, affirmative action programs have spanned nine different presidential administrations -- six Republican and three Democratic. Although the originating document of affirmative action was President Lyndon Johnson's Executive Order 11246, the policy was significantly expanded in 1969 by President Richard Nixon and then Secretary of Labor George Schultz
That is absolutely true. That is why the dems are going to lose when they charge that the reps. are racist. The facts are that both parties have passed AA programs; and the dems charges are just more political posturing, designed to ignite race wars for political advantage.
Myth 10: Support for affirmative action means support for preferential selection procedures that favor unqualified candidates over qualified candidates.
Actually, most supporters of affirmative action oppose this type of preferential selection.
Bingo. Which is also why GW opposed the UM plan, and it is why most conservatives on this board oppose UM admissions policies. |
