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.
Color blind policies don't put anyone at a disadvantage. Someone might already be at a disadvantage do to poor education, poor decisions earlier in life, or racism, but color blind policies pretty much by definition do not create disadvantages.
Actually, they do and they explained why.
Myth 5: A large percentage of White workers will lose out if affirmative action is continued.
If by "lose out" you mean lose their jobs then this argument is a strawman. Few argue this.
If by "lose out" you mean recieved reduced consideration for positions, and if "a large percentage" doesn't have to mean a majority then it isn't a myth at all.
I know of no factual evidence that supports your argument. Do you?
Myth 6: If Jewish people and Asian Americans can rapidly advance economically, African Americans should be able to do the same.
Its not entirely a myth. Many of the Asians where servents building rail roads and such under conditions that approached slavery. The Jewish imigrants had a higher level of education and achievment on the average but not all of them. Also many black people have advanced economically. My boss is a black woman. Black people are at all levels of business and government and entertainment and the percent at the top is growing. The people who are left behind are mainly left behind because of two factors. There own decisions in life, and the lack of good education. To rectifiy the educational problems we have to reform the schools not put AA in place.
History does not support your argument. First, the blacks' position in this country has been unique and were discriminated against much more severely than any other ethnic group or race in this country 's history. Secondly the advancements you are so quick to proclaim did not start in earnest until after AA was put in place. Prior to 1960, you could be woman or black or both, smart, educated and committed and would go no where.
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.
No it is not. In both cases one race or other group is getting preferential treatment. The myth here is that AA is not discrimination.
Its not a myth no matter how many times you say it. There is a huge difference between racial discrimination and AA.
If it is merely intended to redress discrimination in hiring and academic admissions it is probably not needed, esp. in the academic field where it is most prevailent. In fact it increases the amount of racial discrimination in those fields since it is itself an example of racial discimination, and in many cases it is not countering bias but introducing it.
Lets for a moment say you're right.......how is that any different than say Bush getting points to get into Yale because his father was a Yalie. There has been an informal AA among whites forever in this country. Its what has been referred to as the good ole boy network and permeates every aspect of our society. Conservative whites have never complained about that form of AA so why are they so adamant about this one?
AA for minorities and women only balances the two out......its a very good thing!
ted |
