Affirmative Action

The complex issue of affirmative action is a moral and political question which seems to divide Americans more than it unites them, because while many regard it as a program designed to rectify racism and reverse the effects of both past and present discrimination, others simply see it as another form of discrimination. Ideally, affirmative action is meant to be a program of opportunity, not a program of discrimination; affirmative action's mission is not supposed to be about hiring less qualified workers, but about opening up equal opportunity and ensuring that equal opportunity with equal results. However, one policy is simply not a legitimate part of the solution since strong affirmative action implicitly advocates reverse discrimination, which is no doubt well intentioned, but is ultimately shown to be morally heinous, asserting, by implication, that two wrongs make a right. Additionally, because of the use of gender and racial quotas and the disadvantages for working class non-minorities, it is obvious that affirmative action simply does not work. Also, due to the cultural and biological differences between different communities, as well as the concern that the government is merely shifting justification to undo past wrongs, it becomes more and more logical to simply abandon the idea of affirmative action altogether.

Works Cited

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7. Richey, Warren. "Affirmative action's evolution." The