Affirmative Action

[John Dibble]

I'm against affirmative action, for at least two reasons.

The first is that I think that business owners have the right to run their own businesses in the way they choose so. They should determine which employees are best for it, which customers they wish to serve, ect. I don't think many businesses would be very profitable in today's society if they are discriminatory - the market punishes discrimination. For instance, if companies only wanted to hire blondes, brunettes would be forced to work for less wages by market forces. Because of this, those that capitalize and hire brunettes will be able to make their products cheaper, and will thusly sell cheaper, getting bigger shares of the market, and putting the discriminating companies out of business. Of course, this has limits, usually depending on who the customers are - a restaraunt that caters to racists will be profitable because the racists will not want to hang out around those they are racist against, but in an increasingly non-racist society such businesses can not boom and will not affect the market very much.

The second is that it is reverse discrimination. I believe that you should get a job based on your skills, abilities, and merits, not your race. Once again, employers will usually hire by this, as the market would otherwise punish them. Hiring the best person for the job rewards the business. Hiring someone over someone else based on race means giving someone a job they don't deserve. What about the rich kids getting a free ride? Well, simply put quotas won't stop that - you're more likely to be screwing over someone who actually needs the job, as the boss will likely give his kid a free ride anyways.

[Kodratos]

I support AA for private corporations, but don't want the government to practice it or legislate it. I am opposed to any government intervention in the hiring practices of private businesses.

[Gabu]

I'm opposed to AA.  I agree with the fact that many employers may be racist in their hiring and that it's a problem that should certainly be solved, but I don't think that forcing employers to hire x number of minorities is the solution.  As many have said, this can easily result in reverse discrimination, in that a person won't get a job he or she is qualified for purely because that person's white.

[JNB]

 Affirmatve action is nothing more than political patronage, and yet another one of the failed programs from the wreckage known as the "Great Society" legislation. I for one not only think that AA programs should be dismantled, but the entire 64 civil rights act, at least the form its in, should be revoked, since it has allowed judges to grab far too much power.

[Cashcow]

Strongly opposed. It's really just another form of racism, and is unfair to those deserving an important position with proper merit.

The problem stems from the primary schools. Especially inner-city ones.

[Redefeatbush04]

Strongly opposed. It's really just another form of racism, and is unfair to those deserving an important position with proper merit.

The problem stems from the primary schools. Especially inner-city ones.

I agree with Cashcow. Affirmative action is racism in reverse. It was a good idea back then, when blacks with equal or better qualifications were not given the job, but now employment is pretty fair.

[Bogart]

The problem with quotas in affirmative action, like many other social programs, is that they seek equality by lowering everyone to the same level as our weakest link, so to speak, rather than trying to strengthen the weakest link. The answer to disproportionate opportunity is not to take opportunity away from those who have it, but to find a way to give it also to those who don't. This is what quotas don't do.

[English]

I strongly oppose affirmative action.
It's racism in reverse and frankly stinks.

Jobs should be issued on merit, not by colour of skin.

[??????????]

I strongly oppose affirmative action.
It's racism in reverse and frankly stinks.

Jobs should be issued on merit, not by colour of skin.

Its COLOR. Just kidding.

[angus]

stuck in 1609.  evolution is slow there.

MS is like that too.