#6: It's Never Black and White

If you don't know what Affirmative Action is, according to www.dictionary.com, it is "the encouragement of increased representation of women and minority-group members, esp. in employment." This definition doesn't completely cover what I'm trying to explain, so I'll explain it myself. A lot of people say affirmative action allows colleges/jobs to favor people in minority groups who have lower grades/fewer abilities over white males who have better grades/more abilities, just based on their minority status. However, the idea behind this institution, whether implemented correctly or not, is to act as a tie-breaker between a white male and a minority who have the exact same resume and are both equally qualifed to go to a certain college or work a certain job. If the school/employer holds up the two resumes, and they can only accept one person, they will choose the minority.

Many people don't think this is fair for several reasons. First off, some people say it causes reverse racism/sexism against white males, because the minorities are receiving an unfair advantage over them, thus pushing them down on the totem pole. Some people say it is promoting that which it seeks to destroy - racism/sexism - by telling minorities that they can't make it on their own without an institution that gives them an advantage. Some people even say that affirmative action is implemented incorrectly and actually favors minorities, whether they have acceptable enough grades to get into the school or acceptable work experience to get hired for the job and, thus, sets up minorities who wouldn't have otherwise gotten accepted to the school or hired for the job for failure, because they didn't have what it takes to make it, so they won't have what it takes to pass the classes or fulfill the job duties. Whether or not that is the reality of it, I don't know, but I have to say the idea is to utilize this institution as a tie-breaker between two people who are equally prepared to excel in the school/job. Besides, anyone who is close enough to being accepted to a school or job that they would be favored over another candidate will be able to pass the classes or fulfill the job duties with hard work and dedication. Besides, minorities are automatically born with an unfair disadvantage, so therefore, a lot of people contend that minorities should be allowed this advantage. Many people believe that white males have so many advantages in this country, so reverse racism doesn't exist, and white males should just let minorities have this one. This institution is only meant to even the odds.

But I ask you this: Would it be more fair if we ask people not to disclose their race/sex on their college/work applications?

This is a bit of an over-simplifacation, if you ask me.