Affirmative Action is any effort taken to expand opportunity for women or racial, ethnic and national origin minorities by using membership in those groups that have been subject to discrimination as a consideration. The Fourteenth Amendment states that no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. As a result, Affirmative action is not consistent with the Fourteenth Amendment. In this essay, I will first discuss the violation of Affirmative Action against the Fourteenth Amendment. Second, how Affirmative Action helps one group of …show more content…
The special admissions programs purports to serve the purpose of: (i) reducing the historic deficit of traditionally disfavored minorities in medical schools and in the medical profession; (ii) countering the effects of societal discrimination; (iii) increase the number of physicians who will practice in communities currently undeserved; and (iv) obtaining the educational benefits that flow from an ethnically diverse student body (266). The reasons for having these special admissions are to increase the number of minorities and to have them represent their community. To some people, they might ague that Affirmative Action gives certain advantages to certain people and it is unfair. Affirmative Action was started when the University first got started. Students that possesses athletic skills, the children of alumni, the powerful, connections with celebrities, and the famous has higher chances of getting in the University over other people (290). Not only that Affirmative Action was unfair during that time, it left out the minorities not giving them equal opportunity to receive the education they deserved. Therefore, Affirmative Action violates the Fourteenth Amendment. Affirmative Action gives privileges to certain groups and leaving out certain groups not able to succeed without special protection. There's nothing in the Constitution that says "A" should suffer a burden because society has hurt "B." Although the Blacks had been discriminated
In the controversial realms of affirmative action, the largest issue staunchly fought over is whether minorities should be given preferential treatment in the workplace and in the schools. One side declares that those in the minority group need and deserve governmental aid so that they will be on equal footing with the majority group. Opponents of affirmative action point out that setting apart groups based on their race or ethnicity is purely racism and can lead to reverse discrimination. I am against affirmative action for the aforementioned reasons, and would not consider such racism as necessary for creating a healthy society, as proponents would insist. It is my belief that affirmative action today is out of date and is
Affirmative Action was established during the Civil Rights era to address the problem of racial inequality in the workforce and the educational field. Advocates of affirmative action since have argued that it is necessary to maintain it to make sure that diversity in schools and the workplace is upheld. They also have argued that in the absence of affirmative action, minorities and members of underprivileged groups will have fewer chances of getting good jobs or good quality education. Though motivated by noble ideas, affirmative action programs in the last decades have become an object of intense controversy, leading many white men to argue that affirmative action promotes reverse racism. The problem is further exacerbated because affirmative action programs are badly implemented by employers and schools. These controversies came to a forefront of mainstream discussion when 17 white firefighters and one Hispanic in New Haven, Connecticut, filed a lawsuit, arguing that they were victims of racial bias. After the lawsuit was dismissed by the federal appeals court in New York, the case was brought to the Supreme Court, which reversed the decision of the lower court and supported the white firefighters. Evidences show that the Supreme Court decision was justified.
Before affirmative action, college admission was fair, and the slots were available to any student that wanted admitted to a private Ivy League college. In addition, those students’s that are applying would have to compete with other students academically to claim their spot. As Robert Barnes points out in his article "Justices to Hear Affirmative-Action Admissions Case" Washington Post, “Abigail Fisher [a non-minority], who said she was rejected by the university while less-qualified minorities were admitted, violating her constitutional rights” (Barnes paragraph 6). This means, because of affirmative action, if two students were competing academically the student with the dominant race would be admitted. Affirmative action was a supposed to take steps to end discrimination, yet it is reverse discrimination.
Also, the affirmative action discriminates against white males with receiving jobs, college tuition, college acceptances, and much more because other individuals who has been mistreated in the past has been given an advantage. Many
The whole purpose of the affirmative action is to equalize social oddities and therefore contributes to equal rights and protection of laws. Not only I don't find affirmative action unconstitutional, I believe it's the proper action a government should take in case there are disproportions in society.
Affirmative Action is one of the many social issues facing America today. Affirmative action was signed into place in 1961 by President Kennedy and allows minority groups or people who face discrimination to become employed or get an education that is equal to that of a white male. Groups that Affirmative Action aims to help are women, blacks, Latinos, and people with disabilities. While these policies were signed to slowly rid the workforce and schools from discrimination, it hurts people who do not face discrimination, specifically whites. Many white men and women lose special opportunities to work or go to college because of certain standards that the Affirmative Action laws require. Universities and the military require a certain number of minorities in order to meet the standards and have a more diverse atmosphere. An example of this is the California V. Bakke supreme court case of 1978.
Among the citizens of America affirmative action is a sensitive subject with some seeing it as a necessity to help those who have been repressed and others seeing it as reverse racism. Many Americans may also be conflicted about affirmative action, because it is such a complex issue. People fervently debate affirmative action, because it is a complex issue revolving around one’s own race, experiences, and desires.
Affirmative action is a policy or a program that seeks to redress past discrimination of minorities through active measures in order to ensure equal opportunity, as in education and employment. In other words, it is policy that was established to hopefully eliminate racial preference and equalize the United States. The fight against discrimination has been a long lasting one that started with the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson, which ended in the desegregation of all schools (Ficker). Affirmative action was put into place in 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Executive Order that mandated government contractors to “take affirmative action” in all aspects of hiring and employing minorities (Brunner). Upon its arrival, the policy
Affirmative Action remains one of the more complicated and controversial topics dealt with in American society. Affirmative Action is an action or policy designed to protect specific groups who suffer from discrimination, and provide them with programs and special opportunities. These government or private programs were designed to set right historical injustices towards the members of these groups who have suffered things like employment and educational disadvantages from racial discrimination. The goal for these actions are to redress past wrong doings by fixing things like inequalities in employment and pay, as well as increasing opportunities for education. By achieving this, the outcome would restore equal access and opportunity in favor of the members of these groups. These groups generally consist of certain minorities that have suffered from social ills such as slavery and segregation.
It is illegal for the government to require quotas as well. Therefore affirmative action is unconstitutional and should be illegal.
When addressing legal issues of diversity in the modern day era, one main topic is brought to discussion, affirmative action. It was put into place by the federal government in the 1960’s and was initially developed to close the gap in relation to the privileged majority and the unprivileged minority in America (Aguirre Jr. & Martinez, 2003). While it has been controversial since its origin, it remains controversial as critics argue it tries to equalize the impact of so many
Racial discrimination occurs everyday to many different people. In America,the individuals who are usually discriminated against are the minorities like African Americans and Hispanics. Affirmative action is a policy that was created and has been claimed to be positive discrimination. The policy was created to give equal opportunity to groups of people who are usually discriminated against. Although Affirmative action has been named to be positive and support minorities, it is still unjust. There should be no positive aspects of racial discrimination. Many believe that it is only racial discrimination or racist if a caucasian person discriminates against a person of color but do not consider it racism if it happens to be the other way around. Racial Discrimination in any form is harmful which is why affirmative action policies are not correct.
A major controversy encompassing the country is the issue of affirmative action. Many believe that the abolition, or at least restructure, of affirmative action in the United States will benefit the nation for many logical reasons. Originally, affirmative action began as an attempt to eliminate discrimination and provide a source of opportunity; affirmative action did not begin as an attempt to support just minorities and women. In addition, affirmative action naturally creates resentment when the less qualified are preferred instead of the people actually deserve the admission or job. Another reason that has existed since the abolition of slavery is the myth that women and ?minorities? cannot compete
Affirmative action in theory and in thought is intended to promote the welfare of this country’s minorities by supporting the idea that individuals are equal and should not be judged by race or sex. Therefore, in situations like job and university applications, we should consider minorities to be as feasible a choice for hire as a white male candidate, taking into consideration their background. In short, it tries to give minorities that have been at a disadvantage their whole life, an advantage they have never been open too All things considered, this does not happen. Instead, “quotas” are established and the discrimination that was once placed on the minorities now turns the other way. Let’s make
Affirmative action was created to assist minority groups against discrimination, but affirmative action does more harm than what it can do to help. Affirmative action was created with the intention of leveling the playing field so that everyone can have an equal opportunity to be hired or accepted in to a school, but it does the opposite of what it is meant to do. Affirmative action is reverse discrimination against white males, lesser qualified people are admitted into jobs and colleges, and not all people have an equal opportunity to advance.