Affirmative ActionEqual opportunity is a fundamental of the American dream, but there are no guaranteed outcomes in life. Affirmative action may have been originally conceived as a mechanism to level the playing field for a broad group of Americans for whom the system denied equal opportunity, but its evolution to an outcome driven system of quotas provides advantage to one group at the exclusion of others. Quotas are inherently unfair, regardless of the injustice they may be designed to remedy. What seems more appropriate are specific remedies to the systemic causes of disadvantage that plague many communities. For example, if poor educational resources habitually face certain groups, let’s work to ensure strengthened focus on that problem. If single-parent households are further strained by two-job workloads or shiftwork that prevents effective parenting, let’s strengthen childcare resources, improve job training, or reform the tax system to let working people keep more of their income.Let’s not mandate that “x” percent of some group be given preferential college admissions or job offers. The result creates a injustice for those not “preferred”, and indirectly cheapens the accomplishments of those of the preferred group who could have succeeded without the preferential treatment. Related Blog post: Blacks Distrust GOP? Previous: Abortion -- Next: Death with Dignity |
