Affirmative action creates reverse racism. Discuss.
I have always found affirmative action to be a difficult subject to take a stance on because I can see both sides of the argument as legitimate. On the one hand, affirmative action ensures that minorities are fairly represented in colleges and in the workplace so that schools and companies are diversified. However, on the other hand, affirmative action could result in a more qualified white applicant being rejected because the college/workplace needs to fill their quota, which would be unfair to the white applicant.
Without affirmative action it is very possible that many colleges/jobs would become less diverse. However, it could possibly punish people for not being a minority if they are rejected because they are white and thus not filling the quota. Without affirmative action, many minority students might be rejected based on their race, but with it some white students may be rejected for the same reason. As well, some may use affirmative action as proof of their belief that minorities are inferior since they need a government program to get into college, even if this is not true.
I believe the solution for this is to simply stop including race on tests and in applications. There is no reason that the SAT or other standardized tests should require you to provide your race, as it can only lead to discrimination. This solution would be simple and easy if the education system was equitable and everyone received a comparable high school education. However, that is not true, so until it is I believe affirmative action is necessary despite its flaws. Once elementary and high school education is equitable to all races, then affirmative action can be removed.
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