Arguments Against Affirmative Action

There is nothing quite like working day in and day out, year after year, just to be told you were not good enough for the university of your dreams. For some, it is comforting enough to know that they did everything they possibly could, their absolute best, to try to be admitted. However, what portion of these applicants were denied based on factors completely out of their control? Affirmative action, the favoring of different races, genders, and ethnicities in order to promote equality, has become a “leg up” on the competition for applicants that qualify. Although diversity is important, who is the admissions board to discriminate against a well-suited student, solely based on race? To prevent the favoring of different races, genders, and ethnicities in college admissions, the level …show more content…
Affirmative action was created in order to combat this former issue. However, as time has passed, it has become evident that affirmative action can not make up for a past of discrimination. In fact, affirmative action reinforces stereotypes. As opposed to assuming a fair playing field for admissions, minorities are given a more probable chance of being admitted, emphasizing the fact that those people are of a different gender, race, or ethnicity. Although the purpose was to promise academic opportunities to all, affirmative action has become a highlight to the fact that people were discriminated against in the past and may even be perceived as them needing the special assistance to succeed. This side of affirmative action is demeaning to the idea of true minority achievement. There is no equality and fairness in certain groups being handed success rather than earning it. This is a form of discrimination in and of itself and discrimination against non-minorities is not justified by discrimination against minorities in the