FREE ESSAY ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: THE REAL DEAL

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: THE REAL DEAL

The Necessity for Affirmative Action: 
During the American Revolution Thomas Jefferson and America's founding fathers struggled
for freedom and equality. Years of agonizing battling took place, and finally
emancipation was gained and America was formed. As a society we have grown to believe
that America equals equality, when in fact it does not. When the declaration of
independence was created only white male colonists were created equally. Over 224 years
have gone by since our foundation was laid, and unfortunately our original goal has not
been reached. Liberty and justice for all is still a utopian idea in the minds of many
but not all. There are three reasons our society has not reached its original goal.
First, there are large numbers of people who believe that other races, and or genders are
inferior. Secondly there is evidence that shows minorities including African Americans,
Hispanics, and immigrants are being discriminated against in the workplace. Finally,
Affirmative Action has not received a fair chance because of myths and misconceptions
about the program. For the above three reasons I believe Affirmative Action is a
necessity in America. Many Americans are extremely ignorant to the Affirmative Action
program. Many feel that Affirmative Action only pertains to Blacks when it reaches so
many more. The maintenance of the program is of great importance to our country
especially with a new President in soon to be in office. It is of utmost importance that
we as a society learn about the program and its benefits so we can prepare for the
future, and eventually erase racial and gender issues in every aspect of our country. 
To have knowledge of why Affirmative Action is needed, one should have a solid definition
of the program. Affirmative Action, as defined by the office of Affirmative Action, equal
opportunity, and diversity at the University of Rhode Island is: 
The written document through which management assures that all persons have equal
opportunities in recruitment, selection, appointment, promotion, training, discipline and
related employment areas. The plan is tailored to the employer's work force and the
skills available in the labor force. It prescribes specific actions, goals, timetables,
and responsibilities and describes resources to meet identified needs. The plan is a
comprehensive results oriented program designed to achieve equal employment opportunity
rather than merely to assure nondiscrimination. 
Affirmative Action is all of the above, but it is not reverse discrimination. Affirmative
Action is an outreach program that attempts to recruit minority applicants. "It
presupposes an undertaking to remedy underutilization of women and minorities through
express consideration of race and or gender." (Player 59) Affirmative Action programs are
designed to ensure fair criteria for all applicants. Currently, 86% of available jobs are
not advertised -- they are filled by word-of-mouth. Since white men still own and manage
most US businesses, they tend to know and hire other white male applicants. Affirmative
Action creates a level playing field, and some may not receive the advantage they are
accustomed too. (Williams 4) 
There are several misconceptions about Affirmative Action. Many arguers against
Affirmative Action say jobs are being given to unqualified people. Many also believe that
Affirmative Action is a quota system that places those under-qualified applicants into
vacant positions. This is a myth; in reality no Affirmative Action programs require
anyone to accept substandard or unqualified applicants. These programs actually expand
the pool of qualified applicants who might otherwise not know about the opening or not be
provided an equal opportunity at being accepted. The Affirmative Action program has five
major elements that someone utilizing the system must establish before a negative claim
can be filed. 1) A plaintiff was in an Affirmative Action protected class 2) Plaintiff
applied for the position 3) Defendant had a vacancy in which the applicant applied 4)
Plaintiff was qualified 5) Plaintiff was denied the position and the defendant continued
to seek applicants. The fourth element of the process clearly states that an applicant
must be qualified. An employer can deny the position to any under-qualified person. With
progression in our society Affirmative Action will no longer be needed. In fact, the
education system no longer utilizes the Affirmative Action program because of progress.
However, a professor an anonymous professor at Emory University said, 
"Without Affirmative Action choosing college for some would never have been an option.
Our country is now at a point where we all different types of races at schools. It is
with this program that we have made so much progress. It is with this program that we
will continue to make progress, it is without this program those out of the dominant
culture will remain out, and our country will regress." 
Another myth is that some feel Affirmative Action is only a program with intent on
helping African Americans. For example Shawn Wright was asked his feelings on Affirmative
Action and he said, " Blacks have fought the fight, its over. If they want a job they
just need to hop their lazy butts up and get one. Affirmative Action is just giving away
jobs to the lazy people." Affirmative Action is a program for African Americans and other
minorities in the country. But, what many like Shawn Wright fail to realize is,
Affirmative Action is also a plan for women! Women are one of the most highly
discriminated against group in the world. Women, not the underprivileged nor the
minority, face the highest risks if Affirmative Action is taken away. 
Last year the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, required employers to pay
a total of $72 million to plaintiffs in sex-discrimination cases, an amount far greater
than those awarded in other classes of suits. Adding together awards for sex and
pregnancy discrimination and sexual harassment nets $127 million. These costs are a
fraction of the total costs of sex-based affirmative action, but they do give some
indication of the relative magnitude of affirmative action costs for different groups. 
In this evidence from the EEOC, it is shown that women currently are being treated
unfairly. Many fail to realize that just forty years ago in America women were not fully
considered citizens, and did not have the same rights as men. Now in corporate America
evidence of the inferiority of women still shows. A survey by Korn/Ferry International in
1992 asked women if the glass ceiling still existed for women. Of the 439 surveyed a
whopping 93% believed so. 97% of upper management in corporate America is white men. It
is very important that people understand that race does not necessarily contribute to
every aspect of inequalities. Elderly men and women, of all races are also highly
discriminated against in the workplace because of stereotypes about their work ethic.
Over the years many Elderly Americans have been forced into early retirement, or not
given employment simply because of their age. Elderly qualified workers deserve chances
for employment just as anyone else does. 
There is sufficient evidence that supports Affirmative Action as an excellent plan to
ease inequalities in the workplace. One of the most obvious facts that support
Affirmative Action is blatant discrimination as a continuing problem in the labor market.
The most convincing evidence comes from audit studies, in which white male and minority
(male and female) job seekers are given similar resumes and sent to the same set of firms
to apply for a job. These studies often find that employers are less likely to interview
or offer a job to minority applicants or to female applicants. In this study the white
male would have an equally qualified resume as a minority. The researchers would
typically send the minority in to apply for the position first. The minority in every
case whether male or female, Asian or Latino, would be sent out with no job. However,
when the white male was sent in to apply for the same job, in every case he was chosen
regardless of the qualifications. It was obvious that the winning decision was skin color
and gender. (Francis 32). 
In conclusion, my claim is that Affirmative Action is currently needed in America. If
America wants to be a truly equal and diverse country, then Affirmative Action needs to
continue. Through facts and evidence it is shown that discrimination, ignorance, and
feelings of inferiority are widely spread throughout our country. For the preceding three
reasons Affirmative Action is a necessity. Americans have been given rights, and those
rights include being created and treated equally. It is the duty of the country to uphold
that the rights of every citizen are being upheld. The country would do its citizens,
including women, elderly, and minority groups a great disservice if the Affirmative
Action program ended.