Affirmative Action in Florida
"By assuming that what we did to blacks was immoral, we were willing to assuage our guilt via affirmative action programs and welfare. By thinking of men as the dominant oppressors who do what they do for power and greed, we feel a little guilt when the die early in the process. By believing that women were an oppressed slave - like class, we extended privileges and advantages to women that had originally been designed to compensate for our immorality to blacks. For women - and only women - to take advantage of this slavery compensation was its own brand of immorality. For men to cooperate was its own brand of ignorance."
–Warren Farrell, PH. D
"The Myth of Male Power"
The act of giving preferential treatment to women and minorities through the current policies establishing hiring quotas, university admission's quotas, favorable loan arrangements, and other favoritism based on race and gender. This is how most would define affirmative action. While the spirit behind affirmative action is in the right place, it cannot be denied that the manner with which it is implemented is ineffective and raises the hostilities between minority and non minority groups to an even higher rate. Affirmative action, as it is instituted today, serves more to divide out society than to unite and equalize it. First implemented to protect the rights and opportunities of women and minorities, it has cascaded into policies that favoritize but do not necessarily achieve the fundamental goals behind affirmative action. Governor Jeb Bush of Tallahassee recently implemented a new initiative in the Florida Affirmative Action Plan. His new plan reflects the true spirit of affirmative action by eliminating ineffective practices and replacing them with more efficient manners of aiding minorities and women in our society.
Affirmative action can be viewed as a way in which feminists and others have put together a policy by which they are "getting even" for what they see as past discrimination. Men, primarily white men, became the obvious target to pay for the injustices because they are viewed as the traditional "oppressor" class. Punishing white men for the actions of previous generations is seen by supporters of affirmative action as "serving the greater good." However, it has been overlooked that within our government there is a precedent that states when a segment of society is being penalized to serve the greater good, they are to be compensated for their loss. This is known as "eminent domain." Affirmative action does not apply these policies of eminent domain. Because of this, John Marcus, editor of the National Coalition of Free Men, believes that, "Even if the government enRAB affirmative action formally, it will not be able to stop the inertia of this social policy" (Marcus, 2).
Another important factor to consider is that "Affirmative action was originally articulated as a way to make up for past injustices to Blacks because of prior enslavement . . . the nurabers of such people and their overall impact on the workplace and economy would have been consequential (Marcus, 3)." As a result, instead of black men receiving social empowerment, it is really well educated white women that are gaining most from these policies. It is also interesting to note that ". . . in order to attract a pool of qualified racial candidates for jobs, both private industry and government have drawn upon foreign nationals to meet affirmative action quotas. In the meantime, social conditions of the black community have deteriorated steadily." (Marcus, 3). Interesting is it not that the policies meant to empower the minorities, primarily blacks, of our community is actually empowering foreign nationals?
It is ironic to discover that, in reality, affirmative action is not a policy created for the poor. Governor Jeb Bush believes in, "The elimination of racial set-asides and racial price preferences. The time has come to eliminate these legally suspect practices that never really achieved their goals." Those who are wealthy and well educated (Oprah Winfrey, Bill Cosby, etc.) are those who benefit. They are the ones who are in the position to know and take advantage of the set asides aimed at the disadvantaged millions of poor minorities and low income whites that do not have the means to profit from policies. For this reason, Governor Bush is completely justified in his state-contracting component of the new initiative. These programs do not fully achieve the goals they were designed for.
Affirmative action is also ineffective in increasing educational opportunity in minority groups. Governor Bush is implementing a program that will ultimately create greater net increases in minority university enrollment. "The ‘Talented 20' Program will guarantee state university admission to the top 20 percent of students in every Florida high school senior class. Even with the elimination of race and ethnicity . . . ," and "an increase in need-based financial aid by 43 percent, a $20 million increase." The initiative also suggests that funding be available in order to make the Preliminary Scholastic Achievement Test accessible to all sophomores. This prep test would increase the SAT scores for future test takers, thus increasing the chances for university admissions. It is proposed that race and ethnicity no longer be a component for the admissions process into a university. Asking the race and ethnicity of an applicant and prospective student automatically defeats the true purpose of affirmative action. It suggests that universities really must fill racial and ethnic quotas before admitting a student who may be more qualified and educated. The initiative also advises that "low performing schools" increase the amount of Advanced Placement courses offered to students. Finally, the College Board has been asked to join into a partnership with the state of Florida for the purpose of "[improving] college preparation at low performing high schools."
The true issue when discussing affirmative action is whether or not it protects those who were once inferior or it oppresses those of the dominant social standing. It has become a contradiction in itself through the years. But with Governor Bush's new initiative in progress, affirmative action will become fair and just rather than biased. It's spirit truly has divided society rather than uniting as a whole. Minorities and non minorities fight with one another for what they each believe to be their rights. In his first inaugural speech, March 4, 1801, Thomas Jefferson stated, "Though the will of the majority in all cases is to prevail, that will be rightful must be reasonable; that the majority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression."
"By assuming that what we did to blacks was immoral, we were willing to assuage our guilt via affirmative action programs and welfare. By thinking of men as the dominant oppressors who do what they do for power and greed, we feel a little guilt when the die early in the process. By believing that women were an oppressed slave - like class, we extended privileges and advantages to women that had originally been designed to compensate for our immorality to blacks. For women - and only women - to take advantage of this slavery compensation was its own brand of immorality. For men to cooperate was its own brand of ignorance."
–Warren Farrell, PH. D
"The Myth of Male Power"
The act of giving preferential treatment to women and minorities through the current policies establishing hiring quotas, university admission's quotas, favorable loan arrangements, and other favoritism based on race and gender. This is how most would define affirmative action. While the spirit behind affirmative action is in the right place, it cannot be denied that the manner with which it is implemented is ineffective and raises the hostilities between minority and non minority groups to an even higher rate. Affirmative action, as it is instituted today, serves more to divide out society than to unite and equalize it. First implemented to protect the rights and opportunities of women and minorities, it has cascaded into policies that favoritize but do not necessarily achieve the fundamental goals behind affirmative action. Governor Jeb Bush of Tallahassee recently implemented a new initiative in the Florida Affirmative Action Plan. His new plan reflects the true spirit of affirmative action by eliminating ineffective practices and replacing them with more efficient manners of aiding minorities and women in our society.
Affirmative action can be viewed as a way in which feminists and others have put together a policy by which they are "getting even" for what they see as past discrimination. Men, primarily white men, became the obvious target to pay for the injustices because they are viewed as the traditional "oppressor" class. Punishing white men for the actions of previous generations is seen by supporters of affirmative action as "serving the greater good." However, it has been overlooked that within our government there is a precedent that states when a segment of society is being penalized to serve the greater good, they are to be compensated for their loss. This is known as "eminent domain." Affirmative action does not apply these policies of eminent domain. Because of this, John Marcus, editor of the National Coalition of Free Men, believes that, "Even if the government enRAB affirmative action formally, it will not be able to stop the inertia of this social policy" (Marcus, 2).
Another important factor to consider is that "Affirmative action was originally articulated as a way to make up for past injustices to Blacks because of prior enslavement . . . the nurabers of such people and their overall impact on the workplace and economy would have been consequential (Marcus, 3)." As a result, instead of black men receiving social empowerment, it is really well educated white women that are gaining most from these policies. It is also interesting to note that ". . . in order to attract a pool of qualified racial candidates for jobs, both private industry and government have drawn upon foreign nationals to meet affirmative action quotas. In the meantime, social conditions of the black community have deteriorated steadily." (Marcus, 3). Interesting is it not that the policies meant to empower the minorities, primarily blacks, of our community is actually empowering foreign nationals?
It is ironic to discover that, in reality, affirmative action is not a policy created for the poor. Governor Jeb Bush believes in, "The elimination of racial set-asides and racial price preferences. The time has come to eliminate these legally suspect practices that never really achieved their goals." Those who are wealthy and well educated (Oprah Winfrey, Bill Cosby, etc.) are those who benefit. They are the ones who are in the position to know and take advantage of the set asides aimed at the disadvantaged millions of poor minorities and low income whites that do not have the means to profit from policies. For this reason, Governor Bush is completely justified in his state-contracting component of the new initiative. These programs do not fully achieve the goals they were designed for.
Affirmative action is also ineffective in increasing educational opportunity in minority groups. Governor Bush is implementing a program that will ultimately create greater net increases in minority university enrollment. "The ‘Talented 20' Program will guarantee state university admission to the top 20 percent of students in every Florida high school senior class. Even with the elimination of race and ethnicity . . . ," and "an increase in need-based financial aid by 43 percent, a $20 million increase." The initiative also suggests that funding be available in order to make the Preliminary Scholastic Achievement Test accessible to all sophomores. This prep test would increase the SAT scores for future test takers, thus increasing the chances for university admissions. It is proposed that race and ethnicity no longer be a component for the admissions process into a university. Asking the race and ethnicity of an applicant and prospective student automatically defeats the true purpose of affirmative action. It suggests that universities really must fill racial and ethnic quotas before admitting a student who may be more qualified and educated. The initiative also advises that "low performing schools" increase the amount of Advanced Placement courses offered to students. Finally, the College Board has been asked to join into a partnership with the state of Florida for the purpose of "[improving] college preparation at low performing high schools."
The true issue when discussing affirmative action is whether or not it protects those who were once inferior or it oppresses those of the dominant social standing. It has become a contradiction in itself through the years. But with Governor Bush's new initiative in progress, affirmative action will become fair and just rather than biased. It's spirit truly has divided society rather than uniting as a whole. Minorities and non minorities fight with one another for what they each believe to be their rights. In his first inaugural speech, March 4, 1801, Thomas Jefferson stated, "Though the will of the majority in all cases is to prevail, that will be rightful must be reasonable; that the majority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression."