What Does Equal Mean
"All men are created equal," as affirmed in the Constitution of the United States of America. This is a statement that no America claims to dispute but it has been disputed many times when it comes to the issue of affirmative action. Both sides of the debate have over examined moral and ethical issues concerning affirmative action while forgetting to scrutinize the system that has created the need for them. Affirmative action is more encompassing than just a cure all for racial discrimination, segregation and slavery (Eastland, 396). The opposition has failed to account for the positive features that affirmative action has fostered. Affirmative action has heightened our awareness of racism, sexism, equal opportunity in jobs and education and an overall increased quality of life as is guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In theory, it should provide groups a greater equality of opportunity denied to Blacks by an unfair assessment of their capabilities and a historically flawed system . Until all individuals have the same motivation, the same physical attributes, the same language, the same skin color, the same sex, and the same talents there is a overwhelming need to continue affirmat
There are many people, Mr. Eastland, included who do not see affirmative action as a positive influence on society and would prefer it was eliminated. However, affirmative action has only been policy for the last thirty years, which is hardly long enough to solve a major societal problem. It is making steady strides in a definitive direction to eliminate equality by increasing educational possibilities to all minorities, increasing women in math and science, employing the handicapped and disabled so they can become independent, training minorities who would otherwise remain in menial jobs and providing contracts and positions to qualified individuals, especially women and minorities. In the end, a we need to continue a broad-based program of affirmative action ranging from the classroom to the workplace to the housing market to the government. Although I realize this is not a perfect plan and there may always be some legitimate discrimination concerns, affirmative action moves us away from a society that is inherently unfair to some groups and towards reform with equality and 'justice for all'. Much of the opposition to affirmative action is framed on the so-called "reverse discrimination and unwarranted preferences" (Eastland, 397). In fact, according to the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, less than 2% of the 91,000 discrimination cases pending are reverse discrimination suits (Kaminer, 4). It also states that " anyone benefiting from affirmative action must have relevant and valid job or educational qualifications" (Kamer, 4). It is quite obvious to both sides of this issue that some kind of discrimination is in fact masquerading as affirmative action and that not every white person is ad
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Approximate Word count = 1156
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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