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Affirmative action does not truly exist in America anymore, unless it is ordered by the courts or the government in cases where extreme, systematic, or institutional racism, sexism, or other violations of the equal opportunity and treatment laws, have been proved and institutionalized factors in hiring or promotion decisions. These programs, if there are any, are more than fair.

No less qualified individuals are selected over more qualified individuals unless private industry decides to do so in order to make a political statement. There were plenty of such hires, briefly, when true affirmative action programs were implemented during the 1970s. Not only were these behaviors unfair, they were very destructive of the industries who used such tactics in order to give affirmative action a bad reputation. The lies about hiring unqualified individuals in relation to affirmative action are unfair.

All of the discussions about American affirmative action dodge this question: Name one actual program that does anything more than identify the problem, establish goals for correcting the problem, and identify timetables for correcting the most egregious cases of outright discrimination. Not one affirmative action program (if there are any) orders the hiring of unqualified individuals in order to correct discrimination in hiring.

If it is fair for crimes to be prosecuted and for restorative punishment to be meted out to the guilty, then affirmative action is as fair as a speeding ticket , or jail time for embezzling.

There have been attacks on individuals, based claims that they only were hired due to affirmative action. Never in recent history have such claims been backed up by proof or evidence that the person is unqualified or less qualified. Such claims create a hostile workplace, are false and defamatory, and are unfair..

Throughout the world, many true quota based affirmative action programs exist to favor one caste over another, as in India; to provide opportunities previously denied to some members of society; or to favor one religious group over another, as in prewar Iraq; or to favor one political entity over another, as in countries where supporters of the current leadership are given preference in all opportunities. Some of these programs are unfair, others introduce fairness when it has been denied.

America's obsession with affirmative action is based in America's obsession with race and gender. Some believe that opportunities should be allotted in favor of

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