Affirmative action: A catch-22

Lyndon Johnson P resident explained affirmative action to the nation in these words, “You can’t bring a man to the starting line who has been hobbled by chains and expect him to run the race competitively.”

Do you agree or disagree with him?

How can you pull yourself up by your bootstraps if you have no boots? How can you have equal access to education with little to no financial resources? How can you be judged by the content of your character or, in this instance, work experience, when all they see is the color of your skin and the associated stereotypes?

Is affirmative action currently needed? If so, who needs affirmative action? Should the need be based on location? Was affirmative action created to reverse discrimination to reduce the privilege powerful from hiring people who looked like them? Do you believe that affirmative action affects all races with creating a sense of stigmatism or inferiority for the recipients?

Affirmative Action is defined as any measure that permits the consideration of race, national origin, sex, or disability along with other criteria to provide opportunities to individuals who have either historically or actually been denied opportunities and to prevent the recurrence of discrimination in the future. Many non-minorities believe affirmative action programs deprive some well deserving potential applicant of their rights and opportunity. When minorities are told that affirmative action was the reason they were chosen for a position, they secretly devalue the position or their performance, especially if they can see the apparent reason.

Some view affirmative action as unwarranted help while others may see as an entitlement. However, the overall assumption for most people is affirmative action has caused denial of the American dream, because it gives special privileges to some at the expense of others. They believe that the government formerly discriminates in favor of whites, and now it discriminates in favor of blacks. Those are equal violations of the American dream and they should be equally prohibited. Do you believe affirmative action can reduce disparities gaps in unemployment, wealth accumulation, and representation in Congress, State Legislatures, and even City Councils? As long as there are disparities in access to education, graduation rates, and education funding, minorities will continue to follow behind the majority. After all, affirmative action neither affects many whites nor comes close to solving the deepest problems of African Americans.

To some, the American dream is individualist. The intent is to create an employment or education structure within each person to rise or fall according to his or her abilities. Some individualists reluctantly support affirmative action with the belief that it is a necessary way. To others, the American dream is not necessarily individualist. On the other hand, it can be just as well interpreted to mean that groups have the right to pursue success collectively. Until a group succeeds according to its members’ own shared vision, the individuals within it cannot attain their dreams. Until the two races are equal in political power, economic means, social status, and cultural autonomy, equality of opportunity does not exist.

Minorities will always support these policies more strongly than men. But that is no different from the pattern of support for any policy measure that benefits some citizens more than or at the expense of others. Why hasn’t the political leaders embraced affirmative action as a process? To this day affirmative action is too sensitive for lawmakers to discuss because of the real life complexities. Voters should communicate their concerns to politicians and policy makers to initiate new laws or amend old laws that are strongly enforced, realist, and measurable. Maybe affirmative action is not the best policy, but it is much better than nothing. All leaders on any governance level should do the right thing by protecting future opportunities and preserving justice, equal access, and fairness for all Americans.

Sherry Holliman is a concerned citizen of Crittenden County and has some views on a variety of topics that she wants to share with her neighbors. She serves on the Marion City Council.

Sherry Holliman

A Political View