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Is Affirmative Action Fair?

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Is Affirmative Action Fair?
Jerrica Martin

PHI 103: Informal Logic

Is Affirmative Action Fair?

Brian Addis

August 23, 2010

Is Affirmative Action Fair?

Affirmative action was created to increase the number of people from certain social groups in employment, education, business, government, and other areas (LaNoue, G., 2010). This policy is geared toward women, and minorities such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, and disabled people. Generally speaking, Affirmative Action was put into place to benefit groups that are thought to have suffered from discrimination. Some believe that affirmative action is just a means for minorities to get ahead, but the benefit is for minorities to first of all be considered. Affirmative Action has created a diverse workforce, educational system, businesses and government. Therefore, the policy is not perfect but it is necessary and in effect fair.

Affirmative action does many positive things for so many people. Women and minorities have a better chance at a level playing field because of the opportunities afforded by the policies in place due to its enactment. Because of affirmative action there are programs that help women achieve equal pay as men. There are programs that help women and minorities receive scholarships that encourage them to go into medical, science, and engineering careers as well as outreach efforts that inform minorities and women of opportunities to bid on and earn public contracts. So you see that throughout all the blood, sweat, and tears of our women and minorities that have come before us, affirmative action is still a necessary evil.

“Affirmative action is a lightning rod in the debate on how to achieve equal opportunity in America”(Blau & Winkler, 2005). Equal opportunity in American has been a major road block for centuries. How can that be true when we now for the first time in history have an African American president? That is


References: Blau & Winkler. (2005). Does Affirmative Action Work? “Countering Stereotypes By Changing the Rules.” Fullinwider, R. (2009). Affirmative Action. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. April 1, 2009. Retrieved on August 18, 2010 LaNoue, G. (2010). “Affirmative action.” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2010. Retrieved on 21 August 2010. Messerli, J. (2010). Affirmative Action Pros and Cons. www.balancedpolitics.org/affirmative_action. Retrieved on August 15, 2010.
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