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Affirmative action? That's a negative
By Mike Murray
murrmich@mscd.edu

I have never been refused a job because of my sex or skin color. However, I have been discriminated against. Whether for sex, age, height, race or hair color, everyone has.

The question, of course, is: if everyone is discriminated against, why do we have affirmative action? The easy answer is that there is a huge difference between believing in a stereotype and acting on one. Affirmative action laws are some of the most progressive pieces of legislation ever passed.

Designed in the 1960s to free America from racial bias and to allow all men to be employed equally, affirmative action has since allowed different creeds and females to infiltrate industries that were previously domiated by white males. It has allowed for increased ethnic pride in racial communities, helped change how Americans look at discrimination, and even forced private institutions to educate anyone who wants to be educated. It abolished the “good ol’ boy” system and helped establish equal employment and a score of equal education laws.

Because of affirmative action, people know they can have competitive wages and benefits at their jobs and cannot be discriminated against if they become injured, pregnant or develop a disease. The world is better because of it.

Affirmative action does not give preference to undeserving candidates, set quotas in the private sector, encourage reverse discrimination, hurt employers economically or take jobs away from white workers. It has helped create diverse and more profitable industries. It allows a small advantage to those who need one.

So if affirmative action is so great, why am I against it? The answer is simple: it is outdated. It was created in the 1960s, when minorities and women could not get the same education, jobs or pay as white males. It was created in a time when you were more likely to see a leprechaun than a black congressman. These days, it no longer serves the purpose for which it was created. It was created to give people a way out, a way up. The system was created to give help to those who needed it.

The system needs to evolve. It needs to be redesigned to help those who are being oppressed again. If a person needs financial assistance or is the first generation in his or her family to go to college, race and sex should not be an issue. We cannot use affirmative action, because it does not help everyone. In a sense, it discriminates.

Affirmative action should be changed to a law for equal rights in education and employment. This law would separate only those who need help from those who do not. If someone is supporting their children and living on minimum wage, it should not matter what race or sex they are – they are in need of help.

It’s time to enter the real world. Discrimination is illegal and is progressively becoming less tolerable. Simply because a person is a minority does not mean they are special. Are the children of a black congressman at a disadvantage? Should a Hispanic cardiac surgeon receive a job based on anything other than skill and experience?

The answer: no. Affirmative action needs to return to its roots. It needs to help those who need help and to instill pride in impoverished communities, despite color or sex. It needs to become fair again. This nation needs equal treatment laws and to get rid of government policies that are based on inequality.