Connecticutter said:
Can anyone give an example of when an Affirmative Action program in any country has ever succeeded in eliminating inequality between groups? Has affirmative action ever led to better race relations?
I can't find any such examples.
The liberals here, as usual, have good intentions, but their perscribed policies will never produce the results they want. Reverse discrimination is not the answer.
For a person to ask whether any A.A. program has ever succeeded ..... is appalling. The answer is Yes, Yes, Yes. So much so that we should expand A.A. beyond race and gender into ideology, geography, physical appearance and other areas where qualified people are given an equal chance to succeed. America is the best country ever because millions of people pursue their own self-interest in a way that ultimately helps us all as a society. The more people we include in this pursuit, the more productive and successful our country will continue to be. Because of past inequities an equal chance for many still means they need a preference. We need AA in many areas including:
We should have more conservatives as college professors and high school teachers.
We should have more rural and westerners on the staff of the nytimes, washpost and other major papers.
We should have more Christians in hollywood.
The key is to truly offer every person in America a chance to reach their God-given potential. This must be done by taking A.A. at first.
My def. of A.A. is Making an expansive effort to find all qualified applicants for a position based on relevant criteria, and then using diversity as 1 of many selection criteria to make the final decision.
Some jobs/positions demand "the highest/best" qualified, (like the best airline pilot, these should not be subject to AA)
But most don't require the "best" because it is very subjective. Take a position like Federal Reserve Chairman, or a even a Walmart store clerk, there aren't RELEVANT criteria that would deem someone better than another person beyond basic qualifications. So we should work to make sure each person, no matter what "group" they belong to has a fair chance.
Here are the examples you sought:
--college scholarship programs such as the one I received "Martin Luther King" scholarship at Seton Hall University which was for "minorities". I graduated with honors, and now have a Masters from the same school. Millions have done likewise over the past 40 years. The result is we have a stable black middle class whose values mirror the rest of America so much so, that a fast growing sub-group are Republicans! see Michael Steele md., ken blackwell ohio, colin powell, Condi Rice and 1000's more
--the military has had an A.A. program for decades to close the racial gap between the enlisted and privates, and the leadership. They have had a program with aggressive targets that have succeeded in making the military the most diverse institution with the least racial strife in the country. Also, we have the best military on the planet, bar none.
--in the private sector the examples are endless but here are a few:
- broadcasting-- which used to be nearly all white and male , has undergone a sea change due to conscious hiring practices AA for decades. The end result is that we now have not only qualified minorities in lead roles like Greg Gumbel, James Brown, Gus Johnson, Mike Torico,etc., we have many in lesser roles. Now today there are students such as my children who won't need any AA programs to compete because they have role models, examples, and a road map of how to succeed. The gap has been closed in this area.
-magazine publishing-- the history of that industry showed discrimination was overcome by a few individuals taking AA to hire, promote, advertise with African-americans to get them started. John Johnson and others made it not because people and business made a financial decision per se, but they took AA to help a fledgling group. The end result is we now have a plethora of magazines, with thousands on staff, with millions of readers, and the gap is closed in terms of readership, and opportunities.
Last example involves women:
title IX, which was affirmative action for women in College athletics. Even when there wasn't a"market" and women didn't want to participate at the level of men on college campuses. We used AA to give scholarships and other resources to women that was equal to the men. The end result is that women became more interested and the facts show we have changed America for the better with a variety of sports for women. In 1999, over 90,000 people watched a women's world cup match. That closed the gap.
There are many abuses that can and do occur. I am on the side of "what is best for America", and am glad to discuss the changes necessary. This takes an allegiance to the facts and not emotion.
Craig Farmer
making the word "liberal" safe again!