[nohate.gather.com]DEBATE ON NPR: It Is Time to End Affirmative Action

Intreresting!

I have heard more than likely most conceivable arguments against affirmative action but not one addressed the issue at hand. How does one come close to a level playing field when there remains so many obstacles in the path of minorities, especially blacks. I agree in part that one discrimnates against the other in use yet those who feel so abused by it rarely offer any consulation for those who have always suffered. I have also bitterly opposed the slurry use of the comment which seems to want to make blacks feel they are being given something. To all those who een remotely feel that way we are not being given a damn thing. To even arrive at a situation where there exist a legitament choice we've exceeded all expectations in preparation by a long shot even with unmeasurable obstacles to hurdle. And to be thrust into that aweful trash can that we are not really as prepared as another reeks of the excrement it came from. How dare anyone toss my hard work and perseverance into that pit which so many easily accept when they see a situation where some yo yo misused Affirmative Action and someone unqualified is given a position for which they are not qualified. The negatives are the situations which fly in all of our faces.

It is not time to end Affirmative Action.

We've never really addressed it. Things are still abysmal.

I guess I'm older that most of you. I have to say "we have come a long way toward equallity and 'color blind' opportunity" That said, Yes there are inequities however I will never agree with the practice of some companies promotion because of color and neither do my so called "colored friends". Merit is what makes the day not color.

In the end all Men judge another by how he Works not the shade of his skin. I don't know about women. This has been true since I was a young kid and is true today.

My foster Mom taught me that there are no Black People and there are no White People (unless albino) we are ALL some shade of Brown. Look around it is true.

The American Medical Association says they discrimate against blacks where it really counts, the emergency room. Funny how they don't hide the problem but try to tackle it. We need to address reverse discrimination along with racial profiling. We must be color blind and only color blind to the problems of all Americans of different shades of skin tone.

Until minorities and women have an equal footing with white males in society, I believe there should be affirmative action. Once there are leaders of all races and both genders equally disbursed throughout corporate and academic and governmental America, we do need to legislate. Sorry, but that's my opinion.

Rude D.'s comment above is appalling. I thought the differences in life expectancy were related to not having medical trials that included minorities or women and therefore some of the treatments didn't work as well. Wow.

Prison sentences are also completely different between the races - as evidenced by 'crack' sentences (normally black defendants) and 'meth' sentences (normally white defendants).

Some great comments already here! Spencer, your comment echoed one of the opening statements I heard, but was better-said!

Lyndon: good pick-up. I had cut and pasted the headline from the linked page (as a question), but then flipped the two words after I wrote the text. It seemed to make it more clear when I wrapped up the vote totals. But, I neglected to remove the question mark. Thanks.

Interesting point, Karen (& Lyndon). I'm not sure I agree with you, though - I don't think it connotes "one above the other", just different from yourself. "Equality" may not be a bad alternative, tho.

Hmmm, Lyndon. Thanks. Here's the Amazon.com page: http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Diversity-Learned-Identity-Inequality/dp/080507841X
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Editorial Reviews

From The New Yorker
In this cogent jeremiad, which is certain to be controversial, Michaels diagnoses America's love of diversity as one of our greatest problems. Not only does it reinforce ideas of racial essentialism that it claims to repudiate; it obscures the crevasse between rich and poor. Michaels, a scholar of American literature, suggests that the growth of economic inequality over the past few decades is the result of a deeply ingrained and unchallenged class structure. Scrutinizing current events and religion, he argues that our fixation with the "phantasm" of race promotes identity over ideology, and he rejects the idea that meritocracy prevails in America's elite universities. A believer in the power of progressive politics, he calls for a debate in which class, rather than identity, would be at the fore.
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