Arguments Against Affirmative Action

“Affirmative action is a very nice term for racial discrimination against better-qualified white people in jobs, employment, promotions and scholarships, and college admittance.” This quote by David Duke (politician) sums up the main argument against affirmative action. Affirmative action gives special consideration to minorities and women when being selected for a college or job. This makes it more likely for these groups of people to be considered than for white males. There are three primary arguments against affirmative action.
The first argument against affirmative action is that people should be chosen based on merit and not by race or gender. Just as it is discriminatory to deny minorities and women positions because they are not white
Affirmative action does not solve the issues at the root of racial and gender inequality. Only minorities and women from a privileged background reap the benefits of affirmative action. It doesn’t matter if a person is a minority or not, it only matters if they had an opportunity to succeed. The stereotype is that minorities don’t have this opportunity, which is not always the case. A white male who was underprivileged can lose a job, because of race and gender, to a black female with the same credentials that had a privileged upbringing. When this happens, colleges and employers are reinforcing the stereotype that all white males have everything handed to them on a silver platter, while minorities and women have no advantages. This is called reverse discrimination. Affirmative action was, in a way, created to make up for discrimination, such as slavery and suffrage, among these groups in the past. But, what it has really done is create discrimination against white males and reinforce stereotypes of minorities and women as incapable of succeeding on their own. This inflames racial and gender