by Someone That Cares

Created on: March 12, 2007   Last Updated: April 30, 2007

Affirmative action is the single most damaging policy that has ever been put into place. While some might agree that yes it is damaging because of the reverse discrimination that it can create, I believe that it has another consequence that is far more damaging. Affirmative action has been most destructive to the groups it was meant to help. Affirmative action was a great theory or idea at its inception, but upon implementation it has proven to be a mistake.

Affirmative action says to minority groups, "You are not capable and cannot get this job (or get into this school) on your own worth." How can anyone believe that affirmative action has helped to create an equal playing field? There was a landmark lawsuit involving the University of Michigan Law School. For years, the school had vastly different requirements for eligibility for minority students and Caucasian students. Minority students were only required to have a 3.0 GPA while their Caucasian counterparts were expected to have a minimum 3.8 GPA. There were also differences in L-SAT score requirements. The court ruled that this policy at the school was unjust and they are now working to make changes to the admissions requirements.

The admissions policy in Michigan is not unique-schools and employers around the country "dumb-down" requirements for minority groups. The effect of this has been more and more people in jobs that they are not qualified for. They have been set up by a system that expects them to fail. I believe that we are all created equal and that we should all have the same opportunities to succeed. Affirmative action has only exacerbated the inequalities that exist in our country.

Some of the most successful people in our country are minorities. There should be more. It is my strong opinion that these people did not get where they are through affirmative action. They did not get where they are because of their color, nationality, religion, or sex. They got where they are in spite of it-in spite of the discrimination that does exist today. They not only exceeded the expectations that were set for them by society, but they beat all of the competition. More importantly, they did this based on their merit and character, just as Dr. King had wanted

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