Hyperlinked Task

Joey B.  Wrote about how the theory of evolution should be taught in schools. Could you write about how the issue could be reversed, meaning that creationism would be taught in schools primarily, instead of the theory of evolution?


Connor R Wrote about how books should not be censored. To expand this topic you  could think of yourself living in a world where most books would be illegal and you were trying to protest that these books should be legal.

Sean  Wrote about how Post conviction DNA evidence should be more widely used.  Perhaps you could write from the point of view from a man who was released on DNA testing?

How to Improve the Education System in America

The United States of America has always been regarded as a land of opportunity and success. For many citizens of America, the possibility of fulfilling the American Dream is a reality. In the United States, a college level education is important for success. Affirmative action gives disadvantaged minorities a fair chance to succeed in life by giving them preferential treatment when applying to college or jobs.  However, for some citizens of the U.S. a college level education or even the chance of success in life is far from reality. These citizens are of a different race, social status and economic background than other people in the U.S. Affirmative action is necessary for success in life for many minorities. The benefits of affirmative action outweigh the downfalls.   

Affirmative Action is necessary for minorities because it gives them a chance to succeed in life. These minorities are already underprivileged and could use help when applying to college or jobs. By introducing these minorities to options that would otherwise not be possible without affirmative action, the cycle of poverty and the lack of education can be stopped. Some minorities grow up in horrible conditions, such as those in eastern Saint Louis. The book Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol describes the conditions students are forced to learn in. When touring a high school in East Saint Louis Kozol interviews a teacher:

“This is not by any means the worst school in the city”, he reports, as we are sitting in his classroom on the first floor of the school. “But our problems are severe. I don't even know where to begin. I have no materials with the exception of a single textbook given to each child. If i bring in anything else--books or magazines-- i pay for it myself. The high school has no VCRs. they are such a crucial tool. So many good things run on public television. I cant make use of anything unless i can unhook my VCR and bring it into school. The AV equipment in the building is so old that we are pressured not to use it.” ( Kozol).

Conditions in schools such as those described by Jonathan Kozol make it nearly impossible for students to receive an education worthy of college admittance. Educational materials that teachers take for granted in more affluent schools are absent from schools like those in East Saint Louis. Students who wish for a quality education will not be able to receive one in such impoverished schools. Affirmative action can benefit these students and break them out of the cycle of poverty and a lack of education.  

Affirmative Action can create more diversity in colleges and workplaces. More diversity in workplaces can help solve racial problems by helping minorities and non minorities get to know one another. By getting to know one another, stereotypes can be eliminated. (Messerli) Stereotypes in schools and workplaces can lead to violence and promote racism. Joe Messerli explains diversity in schools:

“ Part of the education process is learning to interact with other races and nationalities. Many students live very segregated lives up until the time they start college. Thus, opinions of other races and nationalities are based  on stereotypes. Interaction allows students to learn that persons of the opposite race are people too, more or less just like themselves....Since this diversity is desirable, we want to make sure colleges represent a wide range of backgrounds. Unfortunately, without affirmative action, this diversity is much less likely to occur. It's possible schools with become segregated like in past decades. Elite schools may become increasingly dominated by majority students. Diversity is so important; we can't leave it to chance.” (Messerli)

Integration of minority students into primarily non minority workplaces can help discourage racism and stereotypes. High level colleges often suffer from a lack of diversity. This happens because the majority of students that are eligible for acceptance to elite colleges are non minorities that grew up in areas where their education could develop. Affirmative action can greatly increase diversity within colleges as well as workplaces. Minorities can be accepted with lesser standards in order to increase the level of diversity.

Affirmative Action can lead to reverse discrimination by discriminating against non minorities that are applying for jobs. Minorities with lower qualifications get accepted over non minorities with higher qualifications (Affirmative). Reverse discrimination occurs when a a minority is accepted into a college or job simply because they are a minority(Messerli).  Non minorities are angered by this, stating that this is reverse discrimination against them. Authors Sally Newton and Heather Driscoll describe reverse discrimination:  

“Such reverse discrimination has created additional racial tension.

In 2003, the Supreme Court heard the cases of Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger. In Gratz, Jennifer Gratz, a top high school student from suburban Detroit was denied admission to the University of Michigan's undergraduate program in 1995. Two years later, Barbara Grutter, a 49-year-old mother of two and successful self-employed consultant was rejected as an applicant to the University of Michigan's law school. Both Gratz and Grutter alleged that the school's affirmative admissions policy violated the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection guarantees and amounted to unconstitutional discrimination against white students.” (Newton Driscoll)

The 14th Amendments Equal Protection Clause states that everyone under a certain state’s jurisdiction is protected equally by the law. The students mentioned in Newton and Driscoll’s article were highly qualified and met the demands of the college program. However, they were not accepted. Minorities with lower qualifications that did not meet the demands of the college were accepted in their place due to affirmative action programs. This is an example of reverse discrimination that can cause conflict among races and racism.
    The 14th amendment equal protection clause supports equality for all, no matter what race. Affirmative action can help promote equality in colleges and workplaces.  Equality is more often the outcome of affirmative action then reverse discrimination and racism. Minorities and non minorities all stand on the same level with affirmative action programs. No longer are minorities starting out at a disadvantage, and no longer are non minorities given the advantage in life. Alex Rich and Cheryl Bourassa state:

“Affirmative action provides opportunities that would otherwise be closed to many people based on their race, gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. People should naturally be judged on their merits, without consideration of other factors that have no relation to their professional or academic performance. However, the balance of economic and social power has historically been tipped toward Caucasian men because of such considerations.” (Rich, Bourassa)

Historically, white males have had the advantage in society as far as getting jobs and being accepted into college. Even with many civil rights and equality acts passed, this is still the case. Affirmative action can help change this (Rich, Bourassa). Acceptance decisions that were once made on race and minority status are now being made on actual qualifications.

Affirmative Action can put minorities in positions that they would not normally be qualified for. A minority that was accepted into a college on an affirmative action policy may be unprepared for an education at that level (Messerli). This can weaken the academic integrity of a college. Sally Driscoll and Heather Newton state:

“Another part of the problem faced by selective colleges is that too few minority students have been able to meet the school's admissions criteria. In response to this, some universities implemented a different set of qualifications for such applicants or began to assign points based on race or ethnicity to fill the quotas. As a result, although more minority applicants are accepted, by extension fewer highly qualified students are admitted.” (Driscoll, Newton)

Selective colleges that admit minorities on lower standards are effectively dumbing themselves down in order to give minorities a better chance of admittance. Students that are highly qualified for colleges are not admitted and their spots are taken by a minority that is not as qualified. Minorities also may find the college or job they are admitted into is too difficult for them. High level colleges are difficult to get into because their programs are challenging (Messerli).  Most of the time qualified students are able to succeed, while under-qualified admitted under affirmative action programs minorities are not able to pass difficult college courses (Messerli).

The cycle of poverty and a lack of education may never be broken if minorities are not able to attend high level colleges. Affirmative action may lower standards for minorities, but they need to attend high level colleges in order to be able to sustain themselves and be successful in life. Minorities are taking up more jobs because of affirmative action. Anne Stokley states:

“In 1980, only 3.2 percent of middle and upper level managers were women of color, and 27.2 percent were white women; by 1990, those percentages had risen to 6.9 percent for women of color and 35.3 percent for white women. In higher education, the number of full-time faculty members of color increased by 47.7 percent from 1985 to 1995, and in 1995 women held 43.4 percent of all full-time faculty positions, compared to 27.6 percent in 1985.”(Stokley)

These statistics show that affirmative action is helping minorities. These job increases are happening because minorities are being accepted into universities where they can receive a quality education. This breaks the cycle of a lack of education for minorities, which leads to poverty.

Affirmative action has many benefits to minorities. Underprivileged minorities are given a chance to succeed in life with affirmative action policies. Minorities that grow up in areas where a quality education is not available need help applying to colleges and jobs. Affirmative action can provide this much needed help. Minorities can go on to succeed in life and hold jobs that break them out of the cycle of poverty. The United States of America should truly be the land of opportunity and support the goals and dreams of everyone within it’s borders. 

Works Cited

Affirmative Action Is Racist! Prod. David Duke. Perf. David Duke. Youtube.com. 18 Mar. 2010. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CftuJCHl9l4>.

Bailey, Ellen. "Affirmative Action: An Overview." Points of View Reference Center. EBSCO, 2009. Web. 5 Nov. 2010. <http://http://web.ebscohost.com/pov/detail?vid=3>.

Kozol, Jonathan. Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools. New York: Crown Pub., 1991. Print.

Newton, Heather, and Sally Driscoll. "Point: Affirmative Action Is Unjust and Increases Racial Tension." Points of View Reference Center. EBSCO, 2006. Web. 3 Nov. 2010. <http://http://web.ebscohost.com/pov/detail?vid=9&hid=14&sid=f56ffaa2-4b1f-479e-bb96-8abe4762fec9%40sessionmgr111&bdata=JnNpdGU9cG92LWxpdmU%3d#db=pwh&AN=26607995>.

Rich, Alex K., and Cheryl Bourassa. "Affirmative Action Promotes Equality." Points of View Reference Center. EBSCO, 2009. Web. 5 Nov. 2010. <http://http://web.ebscohost.com/pov/detail?vid=3>.

Stokley, Anne. "Why Affirmative Action Is Necessary." Canadian Points of View Reference Centre. EBSCO, 2009. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. <http://http://web.ebscohost.com/pov/detail?vid=3&hid=104&sid=b72f1f24-f388-4ecf-ad95-0b6bc6a27858%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9cG92LWxpdmU%3d#db=pwh&AN=12416118>

Messerli, Joe. "BalancedPolitics.org - Affirmative Action (Pros & Cons, Arguments For and Against)." BalancedPolitics.org - Free Balanced, Non-Partisan Discussion of Political & Social Issues for Debate (Pros and Cons - Decision Making Politics). 12 Aug. 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. <http://www.balancedpolitics.org/affirmative_action.htm>.