Affirmative Action = Reverse Racism = Lazy People

Crash is also another movie that is good. I am not a racist (my
parents raised me to be very tolerant and I am Native American myself)
but when I watched that movie, I realize that I do find myself, at
times, stereotyping completely without being aware that I do it, which
is exactly what the movie was trying to show. It was a completely
eye-opening movie. I highly recommend this movie.


I think that Affirmative Action is an old practice that created a lot
of trouble and some good. I think that companies started basing
hiring on these "quotas" which led a lot of good candidates to not get
a job. However, having said that, people of different races still
have to obtain the qualifications. For example, if white lawyer X
wanted to work at company Y and black man Z wanted to work there also,
then Z would still have to have the education. Now, they are trying
to steer away from these quotas.


You also have to look at it from the other side. When a person of a
different race gets hired, do they get hired because they are good or
because of the quota or affrimative action? Some don't want to only
be hired because of their skin color.

Same with schooling. Some people don't have the opportunities to go
to college or don't realize what opportunities are out there to help
them. I think that the government needs to help these kids out with
scholarships and grants. Otherwise it will be more of the case of the
"rich get the priviledges, and the poor don't." The "American Dream"
is based on the ability to achieve whatever you want and to pull
yourself out of poverty with opportunities.


Off my podium now!

Let me first say that I am NOT a Reverend Sharpton supporter.
However...I find it interesting when people argue against Affirmation
Action. For some reason you seem to think this program only benefits
blacks and you couldn't be further from the truth. Actually
Affirmative Action benefits everyone except for white MALES. Yes even
white women benefit from Affirmative Action. Do some research.... you
will learn that it's not about blacks getting a handout and it doesn't
even guarantee that blacks will get a fair shake. Afterall think
about it...if a predominately white corporation has to leave a slot
open to enforce Affirmative Action that doesn't mean the position is
going to be filled with a "lazy" African American...it could go to a
inept white woman. The only negative I see about Affirmative Action
is that whites think that if a minority is in a high ranking position
that they only got it because of Affirmative Action and not because of
merit. Sad..........

I recommend this film completely. It stars Harry Belafonte and John
Travolta. It's set in perhaps the '80s (about when the film was made)
and in an America where the blacks are the haves, and the whites are
the have nots. Blacks took over this continent, whites are the
descendants of the slaves who followed. South Central L.A. isn't the
land of poor black kids listening to rap; it's where poor white
skinheads listen to heavy metal. Poor white kids at a private school
get marched in front of their wealthy black benefactors -- having them
be MY race made me see how exploitive and self-indulgent that actually
is.

This movie REALLY does a good job of having you walk a mile in someone
else's shoes. By changing race, the movie actually made me able to
get just a miniscule taste of what many people of color endure.

I recommend this movie -- it's thought provoking, doesn't cop out with
easy answers, and doesn't paint a rosy picture.

Speak for yourself. There are good and bad in all races. The silver
spoon in mouth crowd isn't every one of us. I've seen white trash and
I've seen black trash etc. I just wish we could get rid of all the
trash.

I agree with you, Michael! Affirmative action treats white people like
dirt and makes blacks think they'r special. It's soemthing Martin
Luther King Jr. would have hated since he preached equal treatment for
not just blacks but all people. I oppose affirmative action.

Okay, even though I am white, I am going to defend Affirmative Action.
I grew up in a not so good town that had it fair share of
crime/gangs/violence etc...
Going to school in this area was very rough. The quality of education
is especially low. When I was about 15, my dad got a better job and
we were able to move out of the area, and into a much nicer town.
When I started at this new school, I really struggled. I found myself
falling behind all the other students because they were much farther
ahead of me in all subjects. I had to struggle to get the grades I
received and get into college.

This is why I think affirmative action is necessary. The good
students that go to these underperforming schools are still miles
behind average students at better schools. They score lower on
standardized tests, and then would be rejected for college if not for
affirmative action. Affirmative Action is not sending "lazy blacks"
to college like some white people would say. Its giving people who
have never been given a chance in their life a possibility of success.
If someone is lazy or a thug, they are not going to be magically
accepted into college. That generaliztion of affirmative action is
almost as idiotic as Reverend Sharpton himself.

I would agreee that the system has problems. Nothing is perfect. But
until we make our education system a level playing field in all areas
(Rich/Poor, Black/White) then this is something that will have to
continue. Otherwise the same cycle will repeat generation after
generation.

You said it! My husband and I along with all of our family members
have felt this way for a long time.
We are low-income, Honestly we make about $30,000 a year BUT we work
and we work hard. We are forced to live in a smaller home than we
would like and drive cars that are not brand new but we deal with it.
I am sick to death of watching our jobs go to the people that dont
want to work and whom are lazy and dont try. Non-Black people dont
need a education anymore or need to really try to get a job cause of
the whole Afformative Action Plan. One day soon all of us hard-
working white people will stand up to GOVT and make them see that this
plan has to be banned. My husband whom never misses a day of work
tried really hard to get a GM job but didnt cause all the ganster,
trash, non-white people got them.

The term is nonsensical.

There is racism, or there is not racism. Racism does not apply solely
to whites dominating blacks; in a situation where blacks dominate
whites, it's just...more racism. No reversals here.

I suspect you also say "irregardless", but that's something else
entirely.

Michael,

I'm not really a fan of Al Sharpton.

I do agree that race issues are caught up in a political web. However,
it would be naive to say that racism does not exist anymore, and some
areas of the country are worse then others. Taking away affirmative
action would hurt more non-lazy "non-whites" then anything else.

You certainly have a right to your opinion, but according to the
letter, you are basing it on your opinion alone, not facts. Show me
some statistics that Caucasians are losing jobs and being turned down
for jobs due to affirmative action. Have you been directly affected by
this?

PLease. Afirmative Action is nothing more than a counter action to the
white guy network that already exists to this day. Do some reading -
racism can be social or institutional. The former has changed, and
will continue to do so, albeit slowly.It is hard,and maybe even wrong,
to force people to change their culture, whether Black or White.The
latter is worse though. The lack of access to jobs and higher
education, is crippling. Teach them to find indeed. That is exactly
the intentof afirmative action.

PLease. Afirmative Action is nothing more than a counter action to the
white guy network that already exists to this day. Do some reading -
racism can be social or institutional. The former has changed, and
will continue to do so, albeit slowly.It is hard,and maybe even wrong,
to force people to change their culture, whether Black or White.The
latter is worse though. The lack of access to jobs and higher
education, is crippling. Teach them to find indeed. That is exactly
the intentof afirmative action.

In your letter the "examples" of Affirmative Action you give are
extremely far-fetched. You failed to mention the "non-whites" who are
not lazy or hand-out seeking. You failed to mention the "non-whites"
who worked hard and obtained a degree (or degrees). You obviously do
not understand what Affirmative Action is, or how it is applied;
Affirmative Action is not used to "give" jobs to lazy, ex-drug dealer,
it is utilized to assure that minorites are given opportunities equal
to their white counterparts. It is unfortunate, but true that racist
is still alive and well in America and Affirmative Action is useful in
assuring that companies hire qualified candidates of all races.

Thank You, Mike Arenti, for the reference to National Action Network.
I have to honestly say, it's full of very good information that makes
a lot of sense!

I would NEVER have found it and it seems like a fine organization to
send monetary and moral support to.

I'm all for Justice and Peace!!!


Here's the link folks,

http://www.nationalactionnetwork.net/

Thanks Again, Mike!! Great Endorsement, anything you're against is
worth backing up!!!

*really??* jeeeez

Had I known it was YOU, Michael, I wouldn't have wasted the
bandwidth.

Welcome back - I see you haven't lost your sense of ignorance and
shortsightedness.

Ever heard of "white privilege"? We white people benefit from it
every day.

In your Rutgers post you wrote, "It doesn't concern you, lady! Thomas
was not insulting you. So what if he was insulting another black
woman. That woman is not you, and therefore, it is not your
business!"

Even if I agreed with you here, I would have to conclude that you
believe you have no business posting a letter like this. So why did
you?