More than three decades after President Johnson's Executive Order 11246 and subsequent U.S. Department of Labor regulations requiring reports on the inclusion of minorities and women in government agencies were put into effect, the political debate continues over whether affirmative action programs should remain a national policy. The controversy has escalated in the past few years and pitted whites against minorities and males against females as many European American male workers begin to speak of lowered standards and reverse discrimination.
Although the intentions of affirmative action programs were merely to make more opportunities available to minorities and women by encouraging employers to set goals and timetables for achieving diversity, the reality of affirmative action has strayed significantly from the intent. Few would argue that the task of eliminating every obstacle to education, employment, or promotion for minorities and women in this country is complete, but it is clear that enormous strides in leveling the "playing field" have been made.
Affirmative action is problematic because, not only has it continued even after its primary objective of ensuring equal opportunity has been achieved, but, more significantly, because it involves intervention and over regulation on the part of the government. A libertarian approach to achieving the objectives of inclusion and anti discrimination is clearly more reasonable and effective.
The government must be prevented from interfering in the private sector in what has proven to be a clumsy attempt to ensure opportunity for women and minorities. Equal opportunity is already provided by our free market system. If talented workers, regardless of their gender or race, are not being hired by certain businesses because of discriminatory practices, other market forces will take advantage of this under valued "commodity" at a lower price and thereby ensure opportunity for...