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Affirmative Action


Amppax

  

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[quote name='Era Might' timestamp='1304522182' post='2236823']
Define "affirmative action."
[/quote]

Ok (here comes wikipedia):

[quote][font=sans-serif][size=2][b]Affirmative action[/b] refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender , or national origin into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination[color="#000000"].[/color] The focus of such policies ranges from employment and education to public contracting and health programs.[/size][/font][/quote]

that is pretty much covers it.

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I think it may still be needed, because there is still a significant amount of racism in this country, but am hopeful that we are quickly moving in a direction where it won't be needed.

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thessalonian

Affirmative action is a form of discrimination. The end does not justify the means and so affirmative action is wrong in all cases. Any attempt to make race, gender (leave out sexual orientation) a selection criteria for jobs. edication, etc. should be opposed.

Edited by thessalonian
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thessalonian

[quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1304524616' post='2236856']
I think it may still be needed, because there is still a significant amount of racism in this country, but am hopeful that we are quickly moving in a direction where it won't be needed.
[/quote]

Fighting racism with what amounts to racism is not the way to go. I am all for trying to up the lving standards of those who have been put down by society in general. This can be done with a colorless education system that gives scholarships to low incomes whether white or black. Such programs will naturally catch more blacks who are less fortunate. With regard to hiring this requires laws and monitoring as well as legal action in courts. This is the only equitable way to handle discrimination. Make examples out of violaters. Education in schools needs to address this as well.

Edited by thessalonian
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Nihil Obstat

I think it is wrong, however I also believe that employers have the right to hire or fire by any criteria they choose.

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[quote name='thessalonian' timestamp='1304527827' post='2236886']
Any attempt to make race, gender (leave out sexual orientation) a selection criteria for jobs. edication, etc. should be opposed.
[/quote]
The argument can be made that affirmative action is actually the mechanism that enforces this. If you truly believe that race should not be a selection criteria for jobs, you must realize that without affirmative action, many, many employers would only hire white males. You can't deny that racism exists. So--in order for race not to be part of the selection criteria--we need affirmative action, do we not?

I completely agree that if race was never a factor for employers, affirmative action would be wrong--but you must realize that race [b]IS[/b] a factor in the world we live in, with or without affirmative action. You simply can't get around that fact. Shouldn't we at least try to make it an even playing field?

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[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1304528254' post='2236894']
I think it is wrong, however I also believe that employers have the right to hire or fire by any criteria they choose.
[/quote]
What about webmasters? Do they have a right to allow or disallow access to their website by whatever criteria they choose? I'd like to see you show more support for this philosophy.

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Nihil Obstat

[quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1304531057' post='2236911']
What about webmasters? Do they have a right to allow or disallow access to their website by whatever criteria they choose? I'd like to see you show more support for this philosophy.
[/quote]
Legality ≠ morality.

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HopefulBride

I don't know how I feel about it.

I oppose it in some cases and in others I think meh. I do have this question for the folks who staunchly oppose it: What do you say when it comes to veteran's preference because honestly I view it the same way.

Now that I think about it I don't oppose it and I think it is a good thing (depending on how you use it - I interpret it the way an employer would apply veteran's preference when considering who to interview and who to hire)

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[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1304531181' post='2236914']
Legality ≠ morality.
[/quote]
So, racism is a legal issue, not a moral one? I'm confused.

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Nihil Obstat

[quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1304531579' post='2236923']
So, racism is a legal issue, not a moral one? I'm confused.
[/quote]
Racism is morally wrong. That doesn't make it right to legislate affirmative action.

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