Affirmative Action

[Bad Luck Prince]

I heard there was something going down with Affirmative Action. Since I'm a minority, I would like to know about it and what the "changes" will be. I heard a small piece on the news, but haven't found anything over it since. I've searched alot. Can anybody please give me the low-down?

Did I just say low-down?

[lushintransit]

You probably heard about this http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070205/20070205006368.html?.v=1, since it's the most recent news thing on affirmative action.

I tend to keep up on it since I don't exactly agree with it; somehow, that makes me want to know everything that happens with it. *shrugs*

[Bad Luck Prince]

You probably heard about this http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070205/20070205006368.html?.v=1, since it's the most recent news thing on affirmative action.

I tend to keep up on it since I don't exactly agree with it; somehow, that makes me want to know everything that happens with it. *shrugs*


Stupid school blockers. Can I get the main points from you? I don't agree much with it either now that I look on the wiki, but I am wondering if I should do a piece about it for my school newspaper. We are a Native American School.

[lushintransit]

Stupid school blockers. Can I get the main points from you? I don't agree much with it either now that I look on the wiki, but I am wondering if I should do a piece about it for my school newspaper. We are a Native American School.

Main points: A Stanford professor named Brian Lowery suggests that most people who disagree with it don't like it because it doesn't benefit their social groups.

I don't agree with it for a lot of reasons (primarily because I think that saying that someone deserves special treatment based solely on factors they can't control increases the gap between those factors and the 'norm' or whatnot).

Are you a N.A. high school or college?

[thejetstolehome]

i'm so on the fence about this issue. while i see why some deem it necessary, i also see it as perpetuating racism.

[lushintransit]

i'm so on the fence about this issue. while i see why some deem it necessary, i also see it as perpetuating racism.


I kinda agree with you on that point. I always get into fights about AA lol.

[Bad Luck Prince]

High School. So what are the actions being taken to cause this controversy? I totally agree with what you said. Will there be legal action? I'll be watching this topic very closely. I know alot of scholarships are based on race and how the effects of the actions to come will effect alot of the schools students. I shall do a piece. I just need to do more work on this subject. More info please? If not, can you give me links or something?

[lushintransit]

High School. So what are the actions being taken to cause this controversy? I totally agree with what you said. Will there be legal action? I'll be watching this topic very closely. I know alot of scholarships are based on race and how the effects of the actions to come will effect alot of the schools students. I shall do a piece. I just need to do more work on this subject. More info please? If not, can you give me links or something?

Firstly, I tend to ramble and explain things too much sometimes so I apologize lol.

I wouldn't suggest writing an article on affirmative action in a high school newspaper because it's such a hotbutton issue. I did it in high school and it didn't go over well lol.

Right now, AA is mostly out of the courts until someone brings a case to it. A lot of sociological analyst assume that it's a passing trend and that AA will soon die out (which I don't think is the case).

The most important thing to note with AA is that it's not based solely on race. The theory behind is not solely the idea that minorities have had 'bad historical treatement.' The idea is that those bad historical roots have caused bad current cicrumstances i.e. not being in a good school district and thus having a lower GPA or the like.

There's a lot of things messed up with it. Some say that it's needed to balance things out while others say it's reverse racism.

My main criticism of it is the fact that you can't limit 'minority.' Most American colleges have more women than men...are they therefore a minority in academic decisions. I'm Ukranian and less than one percent of the American population is..does that make me a minority? Haven't women as a group been treated historically bad...does that qualify us?

I'd suggest that when not on a school computer...go to yahoo and search AA. It'll give you the most recent articles on it.

[Love As Arson]

The politicians and the wealthy have done an incredible job of obscuring the debate on the sorts of affirmative action, which have a detrimental effect on society, and that which is beneficial to society. On one hand, the affirmative action that has detrimental effects on society is predicated upon wealth. That is, the provisions made by the schools for the wealthy, such as the acceptance of those with sub-par grades, while turning away those of a lower class with excellent grades. On the other hand, we have a system which provides access to those without opportunity and wealth so as to correct previous government policies which inhibited the availability of those things. The former is spoken about, but never gains the serious mention and the sense of urgency that affirmative action based on ethnicity receives. In all reality, the concessions made to the wealthy inhibit the ability of our society to progress past the point in which affirmative action is necessary. If we are at all serious about achieving a society where that is the case, then we must erase affirmative action given to the wealth and allow the affirmative action for those of minority status to proceed untouched.

[cantnokdahustle]

Its fucking simple:
Make good on Brown v. Board (TK) and then it wont be necessary. Until then, its necessary.

[Love As Arson]

Its fucking easy:
Make good on Brown v. Board (TK) and then it wont be necessary. Until then, its necessary.
For further insight, read Jonathan Kozol.

[Jason Tate]

For further insight, read Jonathan Kozol.
For some of the best economic studies on the topic, read Roland Fryer (http://post.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/fryer/papers.html).

Affirmative Action and Its Mythology (http://post.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/fryer/papers/fryer_loury_jepfinal.pdf)

Affirmative Action in Winner-Take-All Markets (http://post.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/fryer/papers/fryer_loury_jei.pdf)

Discrimination: Experimental Evidence from Psychology and Economics (http://post.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/fryer/papers/sdsurvey.pdf)

Belief Flipping in a Dynamic Model of Statistical Discrimination (http://post.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/fryer/papers/fryer_dtheory_secondrevision.pdf)

An Economic Analysis of Color-Blind Affirmative Action (http://post.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/fryer/papers/cbaarevision.pdf)

The guy's a genius. Literally.

[Bad Luck Prince]

Well, I already got a photographer on the project and I guess I've taken the article. What angle should I take on it? How it will effect Native American scholarships? I think that is the way I shall go. Thanks for all the info, guys.

[icameonherface]

Well, I already got a photographer on the project and I guess I've taken the article. What angle should I take on it? How it will effect Native American scholarships? I think that is the way I shall go. Thanks for all the info, guys.

I think what I have seen is the Asian-Americans are hurt the most.

[Bad Luck Prince]

I think what I have seen is the Asian-Americans are hurt the most.

Well, I kind of have to localize it to my school, so I kind of have to go with Native Americans, but thanks though.

[icameonherface]

Well, I kind of have to localize it to my school, so I kind of have to go with Native Americans, but thanks though.

oh alright.

[cantnokdahustle]

For further insight, read Jonathan Kozol.

Thanks for the Kozol rec. I just read Savage Inequalities. I was really torn between Grad school and Teach For America, but Kozol convinced me, if nothing else, that I (upper middle class white kid) have t at the very least need to experience the state of our low income schools.

...and I love that no matter how pure my intentions, I am nonetheless an outsider that ultimately carries the safety of my class and race, and that I will never be able to understand what these kids go through.

[Salomonbz90]

I was out last night and a "friend" of mine told me the only reason he got into Penn State was because of Affirmative action. To me, that's bull shit. You should get into a school for reasons such as achievements, grades and test scores. Crying that your past relatives were treated unfairly and that you deserve some sort of special treatment is not right. The "crimes" they are basing this legislation on were committed many years ago. Everyone should have equal rights, yes. But by allowing someone to use affirmative action, is this not unfair and unequal to me?

just some thoughts.