Affirmative action = discrim. essays

Affirmative action = discrim. essays Affirmative Action Endorses Discrimination Most people agree that the discrimination is a bad thing. The word carries a negative connotation. Therefore, the government should not put any laws or quotas in place that discriminate against its citizens. Yet affirmative action does just that. How can the government rationalize a policy to officially discriminate against people by race for special treatment (Graglia 47)? When politicians first conceived the idea of affirmative action, the intention was to promote equality and ensure that race was not a concern when hiring an employee. In JoAnn Bren Guernseys words, Affirmative action is a term used to describe techniques to remedy the effects of existing and past discrimination and to end such discrimination (8). In theory, affirmative action is an outstanding policy, but in reality, it inversely shows prejudice towards deserving and qualified white males. Affirmative action hinders equality in the workplace. Affirmative action officially started gaining popularity in the early 1960s. Discrimination against blacks was still rampant in the South, and the rest of the nation wanted to change that. Guernsey states, The term affirmative action was probably first used and linked to civil rights by President John F. Kennedy shortly after he took office in 1961 (30). Kennedy created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which said the construction industry should hire employees without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin (31). This idea was widely accepted. Kennedy thought, if the government banned discrimination, it could create a level playing field (32). Several decades later, President George H. Bush was pressured to sign the Civil Rights Act of 1991 (43). He was incorrect; not all potential employees are on a level playing field. Sadly, race is slowly taking precedence over qualif...