Affirmative Action

[Banquo's Ghost]

I'm not sure if this exists in other countries or just i the USA, but all non Americans feel free to join this discussion.

I have to vote next week on a proposal which would ban Affirmative Action in the state of Michigan. I am 100% for voting yes on the proposal because AA really does disgust me.

What do you guys think?

I think it would help if you detailed the proposal, as affirmative action can mean quite a lot of different things - especially if you want views from outside the USA, where we might tend to use the term "positive discrimination" or many others.

[yesdachi]

Here are the basics…

Proposal 2, known as the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, would stop public agencies and universities from granting preferential treatment based on race or sex in hiring, awarding contracts or admissions.

I will also be voting YES to eliminate AA. I do think it was at one time a needed thing but I don’t think it is needed anymore.

[Don Corleone]

For me, this is where empiricism has to win out over idealism. Yes, truly, affirmative action should be unnessary in today's day and age. But as Kukri-san points out, data points otherwise, that when AA is removed as an acceptance criteria, minority enrollment drops. I would certainly agree that affirmative action is no longer required for women, as they outnumber men in advanced studies by a full 3:2.

[KukriKhan]

Text of the actual Proposal they'll be votingon:

"A proposal to amend the state constitution to ban affirmative action programs that give preferential treatment to groups or individuals based on their race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin for public employment, education or contracting purposes.

"Should this proposal be adopted?"

We had a similar 'Proposition' (as it's called in California) in 1996, which passed. Minority uni enrollment is down since then.

What do you guys think?

I think it was a necessary evil done to compensate for several generations of previous discrimination. I think it has almost served its purpose, but not quite, yet. I think they should be allowed to prevail for one whole generation (40 years), then dropped.

[Major Robert Dump]

[QUOTE=KukriKhan]

We had a similar 'Proposition' (as it's called in California) in 1996, which passed. Minority uni enrollment is down since then.

QUOTE]


I was under the impression that while overall minority enrollment was down, Asian enrollment went way up and the enrollment rates statewide are not that far off from the normal racial distribution of the state, with the obvious exception of Asians being over represented. A quota inherently takes opportunity away from someone else who is more deserving. This is proof of that. Also, I've always been amused that even though Asians, by definition, are minorities, they are typically excluded from the same types of AA that benefits other minorities. I might also point out that the drop out rates for minorities has declined there because the undeserving ones are not getting in.

There are far too many community colleges, vo-techs and trade schools available to everyone and their grandma to justify filling quotas in the higher tiered acedemia. If they have the grades to get in they will get in.