Affirmative Action

There are some facts about American society and the American economy that cannot be denied. One is that in the competitive global economy, we cannot afford to ignore the potential contributions of all Americans including women and minorities. Another is that despite efforts toward equality, women and minorities still face an uneven playing field when it comes to educational and economic opportunities. Still another fact is that affirmative action is the only guarantee of leveling the presently uneven playing field in order to take advantage of the contributions possible from all Americans. This is not because affirmative action is a cure-all for prejudice and racism. It is because after centuries of oppression and educational, legal, economic and political discrimination against women and minorities it is one of the only means of counteracting the dire effects this has had on women and minorities in the workplace and in the halls of academia. Even President Clinton accepts this past abuse and affirmative action as a means of redressing it:

The President put the debate over affirmative action in its proper historical context, and reminded the nation that women and minorities were victims of official discrimination for centuries before the civil rights gains of the 20th century. He correctly pointed out that…a look at the plain facts, including continuing wage and unemployment disparities, proves t

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ly because of programs like affirmative action and not some dynamic of the marketplace or chance. Nationally, the backlash against affirmative action continues to grow and the passage of Proposition 209 in California demonstrates that many think the time has come to do away with programs aimed at fairness for all people. Yet, there is a long way to go before there is equal opportunity for all Americans when it comes to economic, academic, and political matters “This current anti-affirmative action movement continues to remind women and people of color that true justice and equality of opportunity in America only rests with those who have the richest soil and receive the nutrients to grow and blossom” (Hill 2). Time and again in the literature it is apparent that when there is disadvantage in the economic and academic arenas it befalls women and minorities. Individuals who have the ability but are women and minorities often find themselves unable to fulfill their potential because of discriminatory practices that might be subtle but are systemic and real. An editorial in the Orange County Register argues that programs like affirmative action damage the economy and create friction between culturally diverse groups “If there
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Approximate Word count = 1299
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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