Further reflection on arguments in favor of affirmative action lead one to conclude that the present system must either be completely overhauled, or abandoned in favor of other methods for solving these problems.
The first issue which arises in the argument for affirmative action is the past mistreatment of minority groups by whites. This is undoubtedly true. Yet it is not just African Americans, Hispanic Americans, or Native Americans who have suffered at the hands of an oppressor: through millennia of continual warfare, nations and peoples throughout the world have become dominant over, and exploitative of, others. For 2,500 years the Jewish people have faced exploitation and extermination at the hands of majority groups; the Chinese were massacred and subjugated under Mongol domination for centuries; the poor and powerless of every nation have been and are still abused by their wealthy leaders for material wealth or military glory. Even so, we today are not the victims of past abuses; we are the victims of whatever adverse conditions can be found in our society from the time of our births. Our generation cannot undo past mistakes, nor make up for past abuses, but we can attempt to avoid those same mistakes while constructing a better society.
This brings forth the issue of current disparities in wealth and social support among American minority groups. Although it is true that, on average, minorities in this nation make and have less than the average white, while commonly finding themselves in worse neighborhoods with less social support than the typical white, this disguises a rather important fact: not all minorities are poor and disadvantaged, and not all whites are rich and privileged. Affirmative action programs are currently oriented towards "taking into account racial or ethnic heritage," based on the idea that it is only these groups which can face disadvantages due to poverty and social circumstances. A visit to some of the trailer parks in rural America, or to some of the small rural farms still found around the nation, will paint a different picture. If the goal of affirmative action is to compensate for disadvantages faced by young people from poor families in disadvantaged areas, then why is the program so often based on the color of one's skin or ethnic heritage rather than on socio-economic status? The most likely answer is sheer convenience. The racist character of this method has somehow escaped the notice of many of affirmative action's most ardent supporters.
Of the many possible solutions to the current problems faced by the affirmative action program, there are two solutions, not necessarily mutually exclusive, which stand out. First among these is to give the classification of "disadvantaged" a rational basis: rather than viewing certain minority groups as at an inherent disadvantage, as most affirmative action programs currently do, affirmative action could instead be used to benefit those who, regardless of skin color or ethnic background, grew up at great disadvantage with regards to wealth and social support. Compared to their proportion in the population, a greater percentage of minorities would benefit from this program than would whites; however, whites who are subject to the same disadvantages would also stand to benefit.
The major problem with this solution is that it, just like affirmative action as it now stands, does not address the actual root problem: incredible disparities in our educational system. If we want anything approaching equality of opportunity in this nation, the problem will not be solved by slightly lowering admissions standards for those from disadvantaged backgrounds; instead, it will be solved by providing all the young people in this nation, of whatever race, with a quality education at the primary and secondary levels.
If we choose not to enact an alternative program, and instead simply allow the present system to remain a floundering source of division, the day will come when our refusal to face these problems head on, with adequate solutions in hand, will bring about a social crisis which we will not have the political will to resolve.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
