Affirmative Action And Its Impact On Society - 985 Words

The Founding Fathers wanted all men to be treated equal. The Declaration of Independence states, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness† (Jefferson, 1776). Unfortunately, equality for everyone has not been truly realized. The main issues affected were people’s skin color and gender. Women and people of color were not considered to be equal for many years. To correct this issue Affirmative Action was implemented. Affirmative Action helped people of color and women to be considered for jobs and accepted into colleges equally among other candidates. Today, equality between races and genders has improved, although Affirmative Action should be modified to meet the needs of today’s society. History needs to be revisited in order to understand the need for Affirmative Action. The Founding Fathers d id not define â€Å"men† as Caucasian men only, but that all races and genders should be included in the equality mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. It would have been nice for the Founding Fathers to define the meaning of certain words in the founding documents, but they did not see the need for such information. Based on the actions of people in the early years of America, it can be determined that Caucasian males were considered to be on a higher plane than other races or genders. The majority of slave ownersShow MoreRelatedAffirmative Action Essay968 Words   |  4 Pagesopportunities given the high frequency of affirmative action programs; they attempt to increase the representation of minorities on college campuses and in the office, regardless of virtue. Programs of affirmative action arouse controversy because some groups view affirmative action as a catalyst for reverse discrimination whilst other groups support affirmative action as a way to diversify so ciety and compensate for past exclusions. Affirmative action describes the â€Å"positive steps taken to increaseRead MoreWhy We Still Need Affirmitive Action1493 Words   |  6 PagesWhy we still need affirmative action Because of the complex nature of the discussion on affirmative action and the controversies and the emotion surrounding it, it is imperative to first recap on the causes of race and inequality in the United States of America. The policies on affirmative action were proposed as a fractional remedy for the socio-economic impacts of past and present disadvantage faced by certain groups in the population, especially with regard to biases on gender and race. Such disadvantagesRead MoreAffirmative Action : African American And Hispanic870 Words   |  4 Pagessuccessful life without affirmative action. Since Santiago was both African American and Hispanic he dealt with identity issues and stereotypes throughout his adolescent life. Even though affirmative action is supposed to make attempts to improve opportunities for groups that were historically excluded it is still a form of discrimination itself. The preference of one race over another is discrimination despite the fact if the group is gaining benefits. Contemporary society still takes on the controversialRead MoreSummary : Rough Draft And Affirmative Action Program1575 Words   |  7 PagesJarron Jones 4-11-15 Moral Problems Rough Draft Affirmative Action In 2003, the Supreme Court issued its ruling on a case challenging the University of Michigan’s undergraduate affirmative action program, ultimately declaring the scheme unconstitutional. The admission scheme was based generally on a 150 point scale system in which the Office of Admission assigned points based on a number of factors, including high school grades, standardized test scores, high school quality, alumni strength, andRead MoreAffirmative Action : How It Impacted The American Society Essay1628 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract There are many supporters and opponents of Affirmative Action. The focus of Affirmative action is meant to be an attempt at equality throughout society. Every sector in America would be equal and unprejudiced. On the other hand, adopting affirmative action would force many employers to replace hard-working employees with those possibly less qualified simply due to their gender or ethnicity. Throughout history, people have been categorized into different groups. These groupings were basedRead MoreAffirmative Action : Discrimination And Discrimination910 Words   |  4 PagesFirst affirmative action refers to policies offering compensation to groups formerly targeted for discrimination and identified along social cleavages - racial groups in the United States and South Africa, and religious groups in Northern Ireland. Affirmative action is a federally mandated program for federal contractors as it relates to employment. Civil rights result from a series of federal and state civil righ ts laws and provide protection from discrimination and harassment on a variety of basesRead MoreAffirmative Action : Discrimination And Discrimination927 Words   |  4 PagesLegally, affirmative action refers to policies offering compensation to groups formerly targeted for discrimination and identified along social cleavages racial groups in the United States and South Africa, and religious groups in Northern Ireland. Affirmative action is also described as a federally mandated program for federal contractors as it relates to employment. Civil Right results from federal and state laws against discrimination. Some groups of people have been discriminated and harassmentRead MoreAn Ethical Dilemma: Affirmative Action, Do We Still Need It?1706 Words   |  7 PagesEthical Dilemma: Affirmative Action, Do We Still Need It? An Ethical Dilemma: Affirmative Action, Do We Still Need It? Abstract This paper discusses the importance of affirmative action in today’s society and the ethical role it plays when Employers and Universities are considering entry to their respected places of establishment. The paper will conclude with what America will face in the future in terms of affirmative action. An Ethical Dilemma: Affirmative Action, Do We Still NeedRead MoreCollege Admissions Vs. Affirmative Action1536 Words   |  7 Pageshave protested the use of affirmative action in admissions decisions because they believe the policy gives an unfair and unearned advantage to minorities (Affirmative Action). Though concerns over the whimsical nature of college admissions may be valid, admissions officers should still consider race as a factor in their decisions because elimination of the affirmative action policy is not an effective way to make the admissions process less arbitrary. Affirmative action has been a topic of publicRead MoreAffirmative Action in Colleges1218 Words   |  5 PagesHispanics. In order to combat this gap, the Kennedy administration in 1961 instituted a policy called affirmative action aimed towards counteracting the racial and socioeconomic disadvantages that these minority groups have. Opponents of affirmative action argue that this violates the 14th Amendment, creates reverse discrimination and reinforces racial inequality. Meanwhile, the supporters of affirmative action claim that it is necessary to create equal opportunity for every person and as a way for addressing