As much as I dislike Bush...

[HendrixFan]

At issue is whether or not the American society discriminates against minorities. Explain to me a reason why blacks and hispanics are very under-represented in college enrollments? Are they inferior? Are they at a disadvantage in society because of their race?

If minorities are inferior, then you will have a tough time proving that notion. If they are at a disadvantage in our society, then it is the whites who have been recieving preferential treatment all along, and therefore afirmative action is leveling the playing field (or attempting to). Excluding minorities certainly wont help the situation.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: HendrixFan
At issue is whether or not the American society discriminates against minorities. Explain to me a reason why blacks and hispanics are very under-represented in college enrollments? Are they inferior? Are they at a disadvantage in society because of their race?

If minorities are inferior, then you will have a tough time proving that notion. If they are at a disadvantage in our society, then it is the whites who have been recieving preferential treatment all along, and therefore afirmative action is leveling the playing field (or attempting to). Excluding minorities certainly wont help the situation.

i'd say they're at a disadvantage because they're generally poor(er). its a class problem, not a race problem.

 

[HendrixFan]

Class certainly hurts as much as race IMO. Michigan's program gave as many points for economic hardships as it did for race. El fenix, you live in Austin, you know a black kid that goes to Westlake will have more opportunities than a white kid at Travis. But a white kid at Crockett will have more opportunities than a black kid at Crockett.

In fact, if you were to do it based on financial hardships only, I think that would be a fair enough compromise. You have to then ask, why is it that minorities occupy the lowest economic groups?

 

[Red Dawn]

Hey Bush is great. He's an inspiration to all those Americans who do poorly in school and drink too much. It just goes to prove how great America can be. In this country you can be rather ordinary but as long as your Daddy's rich you can get into an Ivy League School, run two Oil Compnaies into the Ground due to your incompentance, get rich out of screwing the local voters on a Baseball Stadium Deal and still become President. Before him the belief was that you could only become President is if you sucked hard and often, or came from a Southern State (which is kind of like sucking hard and often)

 

[LethalWolfe]

HendrixFan, so two wrongs make a right? We should be trying to discourage, not encourage, racism.


Lethal

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: HendrixFan
Class certainly hurts as much as race IMO. Michigan's program gave as many points for economic hardships as it did for race. El fenix, you live in Austin, you know a black kid that goes to Westlake will have more opportunities than a white kid at Travis. But a white kid at Crockett will have more opportunities than a black kid at Crockett.

In fact, if you were to do it based on financial hardships only, I think that would be a fair enough compromise. You have to then ask, why is it that minorities occupy the lowest economic groups?

2 Kids going to crocket will have the same chances to do well in school, no matter their color. If one works hard, they are not going to fail.

 

[Hooligan]

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: HendrixFan
Class certainly hurts as much as race IMO. Michigan's program gave as many points for economic hardships as it did for race. El fenix, you live in Austin, you know a black kid that goes to Westlake will have more opportunities than a white kid at Travis. But a white kid at Crockett will have more opportunities than a black kid at Crockett.

In fact, if you were to do it based on financial hardships only, I think that would be a fair enough compromise. You have to then ask, why is it that minorities occupy the lowest economic groups?

2 Kids going to crocket will have the same chances to do well in school, no matter their color. If one works hard, they are not going to fail.

everyone knows that this country is not based on a meritocracy

 

[Novgrod]

In fact, if you were to do it based on financial hardships only, I think that would be a fair enough compromise. You have to then ask, why is it that minorities occupy the lowest economic groups?

because minorities are, as often as not, immigrants, and not just any immigrants, dirt-poor immigrants and this stuff doesn't change overnight.

African Americans--and i always get into trouble when I talk about a whole segment of the population but in this case it's necessary--are twelve percent of the total population in the country. They're also twelve percent of the population in any college, and seven percent in the top fifty or so colleges (this from this weekend's washpost editorial on AA).

So why aren't they seven percent of the student body of Harvard? Maybe because getting a degree from Harvard isn't the goal for every segment of the population? Maybe segments that really want that harvard diploma will work harder to get it, while those that couldn't care less won't work as hard for it?

 

[classy]

Originally posted by: LethalWolfe

Originally posted by: classy

Originally posted by: LethalWolfe

Originally posted by: classy

Originally posted by: LethalWolfe

Originally posted by: Zakath15
and as much as I disagree with a war with Iraq, I have to respect a president who takes a stand and sticks with it. One thing that always bugged me about Clinton is that he would never take a definite position on any issue - he would just say whatever people wanted to hear.

Affirmative Action

Wow. This country might actually be coming to its senses. :Q


Lethal

Yea that 1000 people really represents the 280-300 million in this country.

"Some black Republicans, including Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, have said affirmative action enabled them to get a foot in the door, after which their own merit advanced them to the top."

Obviously not everyone agrees with Bush, who I think is a pos. He has accomplished nothing.

You don't know how polling works do you...

And why did you quote that snippet from the article? The polls didn't say 100% of Americans agreed with him.


Lethal

I had some long, rambling rant written but I didn't think you'd want to read all that so I'm just keep it short and sweet.

If you think it's okay for people to be rewarded or penalized for the color of their skin that's your prerogitive. But I think that everyone should get the same chance no matter what race they are. As for Powell and Rice, if you asked them "Is the only reason you are where you are today because of AA" what do you think they would say? I also think that things have changed in the, roughly, 25 and 50 years since Rice and Powell, respectively, "got their foot in the door."


Lethal

EDIT: forgot to delete the rant.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

"I believe that while race-neutral means are preferable, it is appropriate to use race as one factor among others in achieving a diverse student body," Rice said.

Obviously she disagrees with your stance. And she is a black republican. And who said AA is the end all. The purpose of AA is to, if I'm qualified, give me the chance to work along side a nice white boy like yourself. Maybe if some of you would know what AA is all about, maybe you might learn something. And I would've read your rant dude.