I do not support affirmative action for some simple reasons. Affirmative action hinders a qualified individual’s pursuit of happiness, as promised by the Declaration of Independence, just because they happen to be in a majority. Affirmative action undermines the hard work and effort that some have put into their own success in this society.
I also believe that the affirmative action is a racist idea. It is profiling at it worst. People who support affirmative action are basically saying that particular groups in society are just not good enough or smart enough to make it on their own. Therefore, they need the government to give them handouts and support so they can succeed. Does this mean that one group is better than the other? Isn’t that what racism is, the belief that one group is better than another? If anything affirmative action is keeping the fire under racism lit and will continue to do so as long as we keep racial separation alive in society.
In relation to education, I believe that affirmative action is not advantageous. Again, we have qualified people missing out on their pursuit of happiness, which might be at a certain college, just because the school had met its quota of white students. And what if the school is permitting unqualified students just because of race. What is something like this going to do to the overall quality of that institution? Lower it, I would assume, as well as breed a mediocre environment.
All in all, hard work should be rewarded. If the minorities work hard, they will succeed. If we keep giving them handouts and allow them to ride on a wave of freebies, then racism will still remain and we will never see true confidence in the minds of minorities. Michael Papincak
Point-Counterpoint: Con
