A Few Thoughts on Affirmative Action
I get in this argument/debate fairly often. You know, one of those “you’re the only black person I know so I’ll run this past you seeking your approval” sort of things. Few topics spark such immediate animosity, are so divisive, like affirmative action. In fact, in my experience, only abortion and religion are on the same level. My opinions on the topic are like most things in my life: a paradox. There is a tension that I tend to live with since I both despise and like affirmative action.
For the sake of discussion, I am going to define affirmative action the way it is demonized. It has come to be equated with quotas and a lowering of standards, rather than creating opportunities or looking for the best qualified candidates, so that is what I will deal with. Despite the fears that I hear, from white folks, affirmative action will never be practiced in this country to the detriment of white folks. Anecdotal evidence aside [for every “I know a white person who lost their job/promotion to a less qualified minority” I got 10 black person screwed over stories. Plus, that’s not a game I want to play.], it won’t. It doesn’t have the teeth. If they are so confident in the racial equality laws on the books, if they feel that they have been discriminated against due to race, use the existing laws to combat it. That simple. It’s like me feeling threatened every time I hear a guy passed over by a woman story. While it may happen on occasion, the fact of the matter is that this is still a man’s world. And until women are afforded equal luxuries, I’m not bent out of shape by the occasional “woman getting over” story.
To paraphrase the great philosopher Chris Rock: I don’t want anything based on me being inferior or less capable; but if it’s a tie, screw ‘em, give me the edge. And I have no problem with that. Reparations was only a viable option right after slavery happened. Forty acres and a mule, as well as the civil liberties given, were rescinded before they had a chance to really go into effect and black people were able to get an equal footing in society.
You see, I’ll play by whatever rules a system gives me. And succeed. That’s me. If someone wants to hand me a scholarship or opportunity based on race, fine. I’ve got a family to support. I’m not stupid. You can talk to be til you are blue in the face about pride blah, blah, blah. I’m practical and if those are the rules fine. If those are taken away, fine, just don’t get in my way based on race.
All the people who get burned up about affirmative action, and who complain about getting labeled as racist, need to realize a few things:
1. America screwed up. People need to face the central conceit of their hypocrisy: this country was founded on freedom, and built on the backs of slaves. And for anyone who has that hair trigger reflexive response of “get over it”, they need to look around. For one thing, we’re only a few generations removed from the holocaust known as slavery. We’re talking about a way of life that started in the 1500s and ended in the 1800s with rights established in the 1950s. I can only trace my family tree back to a great grandfather before I have to check bills of sale. For another thing, as I look around the globe, people just don’t get over things. England Protestants/Irish Catholics. Israel/Arab Nations. African tribal conflicts. The various Asian emnities. Some of these conflicts go back centuries.
2. Reparations aren’t coming, nor would I want them to come. They aren’t fiscally possible nor realistic, so that’s a pipe dream. Plus, how do you put a financial figure on systematic unpaid labor, rape, murder, and cultural destruction? There’s no price tag imaginable for that.
3. (Memo to the Republican Party:) People are going to seem racist if they rail against affirmative action, but have no better idea to replace it with. (And don’t get me wrong, as is, the system is not working as intended).
I guess that sums up my position on things. The bottom line is that racism is entrenched in people’s hearts, and no amount of laws passed can do anything about that. The social ills and injustices caused by institutional racism has broad and far-reaching effects. Education. Poverty. Crime. Drugs. We are past the point of “easy” solutions. But we all have to live with each other. And things won’t improve until we learn to talk to each other, frankly, without flying off the handle.
For the sake of discussion, I am going to define affirmative action the way it is demonized. It has come to be equated with quotas and a lowering of standards, rather than creating opportunities or looking for the best qualified candidates, so that is what I will deal with. Despite the fears that I hear, from white folks, affirmative action will never be practiced in this country to the detriment of white folks. Anecdotal evidence aside [for every “I know a white person who lost their job/promotion to a less qualified minority” I got 10 black person screwed over stories. Plus, that’s not a game I want to play.], it won’t. It doesn’t have the teeth. If they are so confident in the racial equality laws on the books, if they feel that they have been discriminated against due to race, use the existing laws to combat it. That simple. It’s like me feeling threatened every time I hear a guy passed over by a woman story. While it may happen on occasion, the fact of the matter is that this is still a man’s world. And until women are afforded equal luxuries, I’m not bent out of shape by the occasional “woman getting over” story.
To paraphrase the great philosopher Chris Rock: I don’t want anything based on me being inferior or less capable; but if it’s a tie, screw ‘em, give me the edge. And I have no problem with that. Reparations was only a viable option right after slavery happened. Forty acres and a mule, as well as the civil liberties given, were rescinded before they had a chance to really go into effect and black people were able to get an equal footing in society.
You see, I’ll play by whatever rules a system gives me. And succeed. That’s me. If someone wants to hand me a scholarship or opportunity based on race, fine. I’ve got a family to support. I’m not stupid. You can talk to be til you are blue in the face about pride blah, blah, blah. I’m practical and if those are the rules fine. If those are taken away, fine, just don’t get in my way based on race.
All the people who get burned up about affirmative action, and who complain about getting labeled as racist, need to realize a few things:
1. America screwed up. People need to face the central conceit of their hypocrisy: this country was founded on freedom, and built on the backs of slaves. And for anyone who has that hair trigger reflexive response of “get over it”, they need to look around. For one thing, we’re only a few generations removed from the holocaust known as slavery. We’re talking about a way of life that started in the 1500s and ended in the 1800s with rights established in the 1950s. I can only trace my family tree back to a great grandfather before I have to check bills of sale. For another thing, as I look around the globe, people just don’t get over things. England Protestants/Irish Catholics. Israel/Arab Nations. African tribal conflicts. The various Asian emnities. Some of these conflicts go back centuries.
2. Reparations aren’t coming, nor would I want them to come. They aren’t fiscally possible nor realistic, so that’s a pipe dream. Plus, how do you put a financial figure on systematic unpaid labor, rape, murder, and cultural destruction? There’s no price tag imaginable for that.
3. (Memo to the Republican Party:) People are going to seem racist if they rail against affirmative action, but have no better idea to replace it with. (And don’t get me wrong, as is, the system is not working as intended).
I guess that sums up my position on things. The bottom line is that racism is entrenched in people’s hearts, and no amount of laws passed can do anything about that. The social ills and injustices caused by institutional racism has broad and far-reaching effects. Education. Poverty. Crime. Drugs. We are past the point of “easy” solutions. But we all have to live with each other. And things won’t improve until we learn to talk to each other, frankly, without flying off the handle.
posted by Maurice Broaddus at 11/24/2004 07:00:00 PM
3 Comments:
This my friend, is beautiful:
=======================
"The bottom line is that racism is entrenched in people’s hearts, and no amount of laws passed can do anything about that. The social ills and injustices caused by institutional racism has broad and far-reaching effects. Education. Poverty. Crime. Drugs. We are past the point of “easy” solutions. But we all have to live with each other. And things won’t improve until we learn to talk to each other, frankly, without flying off the handle."
============
Thanks for sharing your thoughts...see, blogs ARE a good thing!
- Your friendly mauricebroaddus.com webmaster,
“The bottom line is that racism is entrenched in people’s hearts, and no amount of laws passed can do anything about that. The social ills and injustices caused by institutional racism has broad and far-reaching effects. Education. Poverty. Crime. Drugs. We are past the point of “easy” solutions.”
You’ve summed up my ex-country (South Africa) better than I could. I’ve seen the effects of large scale Affirmative Action in South Africa. I also lived in the country during and after Apartheid. Nothing has changed in people’s hearts. The government loves painting a Rainbow Nation picture to the rest of the world, but you don’t fix thirty-odd years of injustice by changing laws. The damage has been done, and no amount of Affirmative Action or redistribution of wealth will ever repair it.
(This next part refers only to South Africa.)
Yes, something had to be done about our country. Instead of Affirmative Action, I would rather have allocated more funds towards developing and educating Black workers. But that sounds more like a fairy tale than a real world, because whoever is hiring the prospective employees will always be biased in some way. No easy solution there.
That’s not the only problem. Since coming to power, the ANC’s leaders (in fact, anyone in a position of power) have stolen hundreds of millions from the state. How do they get away with it, when each province is independently audited each year? Easy, let’s say Province A is fifty million short of what it should be. The government immediately sets up a ‘Commission of Enquiry’ to find out who is guilty and how they did it. Who heads these commissions? Politicians from Provinces B,C,D,E – the same people who the previous years were themselves accused. During this drawn-out investigation, those working for the Commission are paid massive salaries. And at the end of the year, nothing conclusive is established. It’s all a cover up. A you-cover-my-back-I-got-yours exercise.
The worst thing is that the money they are stealing should be used to build houses for the people living in townships – the ANC has been in power for nearly ten years; why are there still communities without running water and electricity and houses in South Africa? The government will have you believe it’s because people are not paying their bills and taxes properly, but that’s a lie. The ANC promised free housing, free water, free electricity – hell, they promised free living in the New South Africa. You cannot do that, regardless of what wrongs were previously committed.
And let me make myself very clear, when I mention politicians, I'm not only talking about black politicians; white, coloured, black – it’s a free-for-all, if you’re in a position of power.
As much as I hate to say it, South Africa is Animal Farm.
It’s not all doom-and-gloom, though. Before I left the country (five years ago) I was amazed at how the new generation seemed to be mixing without conflict. Now, that’s the opinion of someone looking in from the outside, and I could’ve misinterpreted things, but I hope not. I honestly hope that one day there will be a Rainbow Nation that the ANC talks of.
Rob
“The bottom line is that racism is entrenched in people’s hearts, and no amount of laws passed can do anything about that. The social ills and injustices caused by institutional racism has broad and far-reaching effects. Education. Poverty. Crime. Drugs. We are past the point of “easy” solutions.”
You’ve summed up my ex-country (South Africa) better than I could. I’ve seen the effects of large scale Affirmative Action in South Africa. I also lived in the country during and after Apartheid. Nothing has changed in people’s hearts. The government loves painting a Rainbow Nation picture to the rest of the world, but you don’t fix thirty-odd years of injustice by changing laws. The damage has been done, and no amount of Affirmative Action or redistribution of wealth will ever repair it.
(This next part refers only to South Africa.)
Yes, something had to be done about our country. Instead of Affirmative Action, I would rather have allocated more funds towards developing and educating Black workers. But that sounds more like a fairy tale than a real world, because whoever is hiring the prospective employees will always be biased in some way. No easy solution there.
That’s not the only problem. Since coming to power, the ANC’s leaders (in fact, anyone in a position of power) have stolen hundreds of millions from the state. How do they get away with it, when each province is independently audited each year? Easy, let’s say Province A is fifty million short of what it should be. The government immediately sets up a ‘Commission of Enquiry’ to find out who is guilty and how they did it. Who heads these commissions? Politicians from Provinces B,C,D,E – the same people who the previous years were themselves accused. During this drawn-out investigation, those working for the Commission are paid massive salaries. And at the end of the year, nothing conclusive is established. It’s all a cover up. A you-cover-my-back-I-got-yours exercise.
The worst thing is that the money they are stealing should be used to build houses for the people living in townships – the ANC has been in power for nearly ten years; why are there still communities without running water and electricity and houses in South Africa? The government will have you believe it’s because people are not paying their bills and taxes properly, but that’s a lie. The ANC promised free housing, free water, free electricity – hell, they promised free living in the New South Africa. You cannot do that, regardless of what wrongs were previously committed.
And let me make myself very clear, when I mention politicians, I'm not only talking about black politicians; white, coloured, black – it’s a free-for-all, if you’re in a position of power.
As much as I hate to say it, South Africa is Animal Farm.
It’s not all doom-and-gloom, though. Before I left the country (five years ago) I was amazed at how the new generation seemed to be mixing without conflict. Now, that’s the opinion of someone looking in from the outside, and I could’ve misinterpreted things, but I hope not. I honestly hope that one day there will be a Rainbow Nation that the ANC talks of.
Rob
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home