Signed by John F. Kennedy, Executive Order 10925 required federal contractors to "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin" (ProQuest Staff). Today, affirmative action is used, but it has a completely different meaning. It now means to give people of a certain race, religion, or gender an easier way to get ahead, whether it is in jobs or college admissions. While accepted at first as a way to reconcile past discrimination, it has become a target of criticism over the recent years because of the injustice it causes. Affirmative action should be abolished since it is unfair, outdated, and ineffective.
One thing …show more content…
Certain groups, like Native Americans and women, have an easier way to get a job or admission to schools. This is not the way it should be because hard work must be valued so that the greatest output is always valued the most regardless of race or gender. One key argument of supporters of affirmative action is that it helps minorities who were once discriminated, but this idea does not consider the many injustices that were also committed against Catholics, Italian Americans, and Irish Americans (Marzilli 12). None of these groups receive preferential treatment, and in fact, some are even hurt by affirmative action to this day. Certain groups should not get preferences because of the past while other groups do not even though they share similar treatment. Another example of racial preferences is that an African American, who was hired by a company that wanted to increase its diversity, was used for meetings to show off the company’s diversity (Canady 42). This man should not be hired under the banner of affirmative action just to be put on display for the use of public relations. He should not be treated differently and, in effect, receive the scorn of his other colleagues. This practice of hiring or admitting based primarily off of race, gender, or religion must stop since it is unfair that certain people are treated differently than others because of something they cannot control. Besides aiding people because of race and gender, affirmative action also treats people of a same group as a generalized version of the
One thing …show more content…
Certain groups, like Native Americans and women, have an easier way to get a job or admission to schools. This is not the way it should be because hard work must be valued so that the greatest output is always valued the most regardless of race or gender. One key argument of supporters of affirmative action is that it helps minorities who were once discriminated, but this idea does not consider the many injustices that were also committed against Catholics, Italian Americans, and Irish Americans (Marzilli 12). None of these groups receive preferential treatment, and in fact, some are even hurt by affirmative action to this day. Certain groups should not get preferences because of the past while other groups do not even though they share similar treatment. Another example of racial preferences is that an African American, who was hired by a company that wanted to increase its diversity, was used for meetings to show off the company’s diversity (Canady 42). This man should not be hired under the banner of affirmative action just to be put on display for the use of public relations. He should not be treated differently and, in effect, receive the scorn of his other colleagues. This practice of hiring or admitting based primarily off of race, gender, or religion must stop since it is unfair that certain people are treated differently than others because of something they cannot control. Besides aiding people because of race and gender, affirmative action also treats people of a same group as a generalized version of the