The case for (and problems with) affirmative action

I don't know one person who can "afford" college. It's go to college and be up to your ears in debt, or don't go at all. Anyone can do it. When there is a will, there is a way. I would even wager that those who aren't as financially well off have a better chance to getting scholarships then those who come from middle class families.

What crap, this subject was beat to hell years ago, public schools get way more money per child than their counterparts and still suck, throwing money at them is not the answer.

Parents are precisely the problem, they don't give a (*)(*)(*)(*). They think of school as a God (*)(*)(*)(*) free babysitting service, not an institute of learning.

I learned my own study skills, with the help of my parents. How do you expect them to learn? Must teachers do EVERYTHING for students nowadays?

You know parents can work and still be involved in their children's lives... you find a way to make it work. Both my parents worked, my dad was a homicide detective in the South Bronx who was often gone for days as he handled many big cases. He still made sure that every time he was home to spend time with his children and make sure we were all on top of our studies. He never stopped stressing how important they were.

 

While anecdotes like yours are great, it doesn't change the fact that many parents don't, either because they can't or don't want to.

The question is, do we as society say "well, it's up to the parents" and accept that those kids will get a lousy education?

Personally, I think society as a whole has a very large interest in seeing that as many kids as possible get a good education, regardless of who their parents are. It reduces crime and makes us more economically competitive globally.

Further, it only needs to work once. The single greatest predictor of whether a kid will go to college is whether the parents went to college. Break the cycle of poverty once, and it's likely you won't have to expend many further resources on that child's descendants.

The real question is how do you make a kid learn when his/her parents aren't helping -- and in some cases are actively hindering?

 

The case for affirmative action is based on the still-continuing effects of the massive discrimination against minorities because of "legacy programs".

The children of past graduates of colleges are given a heavy preference for admission to many colleges, even if those kids are drug-addicted alcoholic bums with C- grade averages like GW Bush was.

This continues the racism for MANY generations.

That white males still delude themselves into thinking they got most of their advantages from "merit" is a very good sign of their mental deficiency.

 

That's part of what I meant when I said we should try to reduce locked-in generational privilege -- or at least acknowledge it when discussing whether affirmative action can be ended. There is lots of "soft discrimination" like that at work -- advantages that many people aren't even aware of, that make the playing field far from level.

The question of what we can or should do about it is trickier -- but let's start by recognizing that it exists.

 

"The case for (and problems with) affirmative action "

I think affirmative action is justified in some instances, but I would say if affirmative action is gonna play a part in the job qualifications, that needs to be mentioned as a qualification, so people that do not qualify do not apply

 

You are correct, racism is racism......and affirmative action is racism.

 

Legacy programs have excluded more qualified white applicants than it ever has black applicants. As well, legacy programs apply to both whites and blacks.

The OBVIOUS solution would be to end legacy programs. Revealing that your go to solution would be affirmative action for Blacks.

 

Prove it, bigtalk.

 

Indeed, and how is that a problem for the government?

We should offer the same education to everyone. It is up to the individual what they do with it.

I agree, a more educated society will no doubt flourish more, but you can't force people to learn.

Again, I think the opportunity is there for most, they just don't take advantage of it.

LOL, make a kid learn? In New York City, my wife can't even stop a kid from leaving the classroom. That's right, a kid can get up and walk out whenever they want and a teacher can't do a (*)(*)(*)(*) thing.