Why Is It When African Americans Acquire Positions Of Power, People Attribute It To Affirmative Action?
I have been reading quite a number of posts associated with President Elect Obama and his wife. A central theme is affirmative action. I have done quite an enormous amount of research on affirmative action and I truly think that out of ignorance or the need to minimize the success and importance of a group of people, many in society truly do not understand the nature of affirmative action (AA). AA was created to give QUALIFIED minorities equal access and equal opportunity. Research clearly shows there is a disparity as related to minorities and their caucasian counterparts as related to test scores, opportunities etc. The research doesn’t lie. Yet and still I see statements that Barack and Michelle achieved their successes because of AA. No, they achieved their successes because they are intelligent, hardworking, multitalented individuals. There were no handouts. A history of higher education show that desegration was a huge challenge in our nation. Believe me, there are no unqualified minorities out there who are barely passing receiving anything due to AA. However those of us who are the best and the brightest (including yours truly because I kicked butt in the classroom- kindergarten through my current doctoral program and in my profession) wanted equal opportunity and consideration. If you know the history of our great United States you know that the country has not been fair and equitable to minorities especially as related to education and hiring practices. I am where I am today because I am intelligent, hardworking, forwardthinking, fair, a darn good strategist, and because I had parents who told me that the only way I would rise above racism is to educate myself as if my life depended on it.
What “AA” was “intended to do” has nothing to do with “what it HAS done”!
I would not mind losing a “job/position” to someone equally qualified, or superior in qualification. “AA” has allowed “lesser qualified” people to be awarded contracts & positions, over superior qualified applicants, thus creating “reverse discrimination”. Not the “intention” of AA, but the “actual” result.
This Election Blacks voted in record numbers. WHY?
This Election, McCain supporters were called “racists”! WHY?
This Election, Obama was nominated over many Candidates who had vastly MORE experience, and far more impressive resumes, than him. Why? Because Democrats are MORE afraid of being called “racist”, than “sexist”! Simple as that!
because they tend to incompetent
just look at obama, he offers nothing (but “hope” and “change”), yet he is worshiped. affirmative action itself promotes this. get rid of the law and the false accusations will be gone. the expectation of a % of skin color for anything is itself racist and has no place in an un-racist world. there are tons of awesome black coaches (and players) in football, yet there is a constant drum beat that racism is in play for head coach jobs. it is stupid and counter-productive.
btw, there are a lot of blacks that contribute and have earned their rewards. these people have my respect.
Affirmative Action — This term has two very different definitions! Never use this term without indicating the version you are using!
Definition 1: Race-neutral, gender-neutral assurance against actual discrimination. This is the type of Affirmative Action contemplated by President Lyndon Johnson’s Executive Order 11246, in which he sought to ensure that individuals have equal opportunity WITHOUT regard to their race, sex, or ethnicity. In this 1965 Executive Order, President Johnson consistently and repeatedly used the term non-discrimination and never once mentioned racial quotas or preferences. The original, unamended version of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 similarly emphasized race-neutrality and non-discrimination.
Definition 2: Racial-preferences and gender-preferences for the correct races and genders. Under this defintion, Affirmative Action is comprised of programs and policies that grant favorable treatment on the basis of race or gender to government-defined “disadvantaged” individuals. Under this definition, racial or gender preference must be granted even when the favored / aggrieved minority or gender has no actual evidence or proof that a company, boss, individual, or government agency has discriminated against them due to their race or gender. Definition 2 is based upon the Constitutionally dubious notion of proportional representation based upon skin color or gender in all occupations and endeavors in the U.S.
Regrettably, the original non-discrimination definition, Defintion 1, which was race and gender neutral, has died a slow, horrible death at the hands of the incessant lobbying of the professional quota industry. The race-based, quota-based version, Definition 2, has risen to take its place.
The “preferences” definition of Affirmative Action (Definition 2) has become the underpinning of today’s corrupted version of Affirmative Action
Because 90 percent of the time it is true.
Obama got where he is by being a shrewd con-man. A racist ex-crackhead Marxist Kenyan who initially got into office by getting everyone else on the ballot disqualified. He is pond scum on the sea of decency.
Besides Obama, many of them did get into their position because of affirmative action. That’s why my company is always forcing me to listen to their propaganda about the need for diversity so they can justify promoting the incompetent based on race instead of the qualified, based on ability.
Obama will be the first affirmative action President. if you can tell me
what experience he has to be president. His color got him the job.
Fear.
People who blame minorities for having success would have to come to terms with their own stupidity and failures in life if they can’t blame it on minorities.
That’s a great stereotype you have come up with. The best person should be put into a job and if that is how things were done you wouldn’t need the term “affirmative action!” In the case of Obama… He was a better selection of the two running. If the United State can elect a half white/black as president, why do we still have affirmative action? The year is 2009 and there is no room for blacks to think they’re segregated against and people like Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton are idiots.
I do not think that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Secretary Condoleezza Rice, Judge Janice Rogers Brown, former Secretary of State Collin Powell or former Lt. Michael Steele of Maryland achieved anything through Afffirmative Action.
In fact, oddly enough, one political party did everything in their power to hamper them and/or call them “Uncle and Aunty Toms”.