Affirmative Action
Affirmative action was developed in an attempt to further the real and unforeseen effects of racial discrimination that have existed in both subtle and overt ways in this nation since its inception. Racial division, overt segregation and subtle racially driven policies and practices have been oppressive to minorities and have created object disenfranchisement, especially with regard to education and employment opportunities. Affirmative action attempts to ensure the proportionate placement of racial minorities and in some cases women in positions of opportunity by allowing racial and gender information to be used as a criterion for enrollment in education programs and in government jobs or government contracts. The programs were set in place to advance minorities to a place where the programs were not needed, and while some argue that they are still very much needed others argue that they are antiquated and create opportunity for discrimination of other sorts. (Kivel) John Shimkus, R. Ill., acknowledged the history of inequality that supporters of affirmative action say makes the programs necessary. "Unfortunately, not every person starts at the same place in our society in our educational institutions. Many times those barrier
About 100 members of the current freshman class, representing some 24 percent of its minority students, would not have been admitted without race-conscious policies, according to Ernest Morris, vice president for student affairs. (Bronner NP) As a result of many years of opposition to affirmative action, mainly based on the idea of reverse discrimination there has always been a significant backlash to its implementation. The situation in Michigan is again an example of the manner in which these issues are being decided, despite ardent actions attempting to fight the anti-affirmative action movement. (Clark NP)The passage of the Washington law in 1998, has in fact realized this fear as minority enrollment has declined sharply in Washington universities, as of 2006. " Many of our supporters will fall by the way side as the movement presses against financial privilege. would likely agree that these tactics, of anti-discrimination is predictable fallout from civil rights advancement, as people who overtly support affirmative action and other equality issues deem it not worth getting involved in when it comes to the fine details like voting. The trend needs to stop, even if some people feel that opportunity is lost in reverse discrimination. Ideally affirmative action will not be needed forever but clearly, when you look at statistics it is not time yet. The standard practice of beginning a legal movement at the state level and furthering it to the federal seems to be the tactic of Connerly and others in their fight to eradicate this social equality tool from existence. There is therefore serious questions about the messages that pervade affirmative action and its continued use that must be answered and voters need to be made more aware of the positive gains that have been realized thus far in affirmative action situations, rather than believing the rhetoric of anti-affirmative action claims of reverse discrimination. (Guttman & Lewis NP) Kivel s desire for the backlash to affirmative action to be fought as hard as the procurement of civil rights for minorities was fought in the first place has clearly not been realized, despite significant efforts to do so. One United Michigan (OUM), a coalition of more than 200 mainstream Michigan organizations representing women's groups, educators, business groups, racial and ethnic minority groups, and labor, also obtained the bipartisan public support of every major political leader in the state including Governor Jennifer Granholm, U. (Kivel) This statement seems to be logical, as it is still clear that racial disparity exists in this nation, demonstrated by socioeconomic imbalances and other important statistics regarding race and opportunity.
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