(no subject)

[novapsyche]

I'm going to say it, and I don't care how many people hate me for saying it:

Affirmative action is still needed in the United States.

Comments

[brendand.livejournal.com]

I am not narrowly defining AA. I was giving one example of what I mean. But AA is based on the idea that we're giving benefits to people based on something other than need or qualifications.

I'm completely indifferent to the thought of my own children going to Eastern Michigan University. I'd like to think they could get into somewhere better (as I probably could have, had I wanted to). But it would bother me that someone else would get in based on that, if the other person is more qualified and as worked just as hard or harder to get in.

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

But AA is based on the idea that we're giving benefits to people based on something other than need or qualifications.

Where are you getting this definition?

[brendand.livejournal.com]

I'll assume that you concede the "based on something other than need or qualifications," and that you're looking for me to defend "the idea that we're giving benefits to people." If that's not a fair assumption, please let me know.

From Wikipedia, "Affirmative action is a policy or a program which gives preference to some group of people (often minorities, women, or the physically handicapped) with the stated goal of countering past or ongoing discrimination against them. It can take many forms including priority acceptance for government contracts, education, or employment and/or language training or vocational training." (emphasis mine)

"When members of targeted groups are actively sought or preferred, the reason given is usually that this is necessary to compensate for advantages that other groups are said to have had (such as through institutional racism or institutional sexism or historical circumstances)." (again, emphasis mine)

How do you define AA? Equality for all? Because that is exactly not what AA is.