Americans with disabilities are also offered a form of protection under Affirmative Action laws. In the past society seemed to isolate and segregate people with disabilities. Employers would often overlook a person in a wheelchair for a person that was more mobile purely because they weren't sure how that would impact their environment. The American Disabilities Act is a precedent that society must uphold. http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/ts_search.pl?title=42&sec=12101 I found that Congress felt that this type of discrimination was not to be tolerated. Everyone has the right to equal treatment under the Constitution.

I recently read, "Anglos (Caucasians) receive 52 percent more job offers than some minority groups, particularly Hispanics," according to Bergmann, Barbara. In Defense of Affirmative Action . New York: Basic Books, 1996: 50-1. I found that a harsh reality of what faces minorities in our country. I feel this is one reason that we see high poverty levels among these groups. Its hard for them to provide for their families when they can't find work. I found this information in the following site: http://aad.english.ucsb.edu/docs/berg.econ.comp.html

This article also includes a study that was conducted among young males. The study team sent young men out to look for a job. One was black and the other white. The testers were sent with the same qualifications, same education background, and similar job experience. The white job seekers were offered the job 45% more often than the tester that was African American. I don't understand how employers justify this. I feel that these employers need to be scrutinized for these practices.







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I have tried to write about my own opinion on Affirmative Action. I think whoever reads this has a sense that my bleeding heart is overwhelmed on the subject! I don't feel that taking away Affirmative Action could ever benefit our society as a whole but in all fairness I want to include some information on the con side of the issue as well. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/199311/reverse-racism
The link above is a site that discusses the cons of the issue as well. The article basically says that reverse rasicm is an issue with this subject. I agree with the old anaglogy..Two wrongs don't make a right. I will stick to my guns on this one. I don't feel that form a social justice stand point our society can benefit from going away from this program.

I have heard of some opposition to Affirmative Action. It has been said that by allowing someone a job because they are a minority is a form of reverse discrimination. I found that the numbers do not lie on this issue. "Much of the opposition to affirmative action is framed on the grounds of so-called "reverse discrimination and unwarranted preferences." In fact, less than 2 percent of the 91,000 employment discrimination cases pending before the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission are reverse discrimination cases. Under the law as written in Executive Orders and interpreted by the courts, anyone benefiting from affirmative action must have relevant and valid job or educational qualifications," according to http://www.now.org/nnt/08-95/affirmhs.html

As a female I found this subject to be very important because as we all know there is still a lot of work to be done to have an "equal playing ground" when it comes to men and women of any color in the work force. According to http://www.now.org/nnt/08-95/affirmhs.html, "In 1967, Johnson expanded the Executive Order to include affirmative action requirements to benefit women." So, think about that for a second. Before, President Johnson there was no such thing as equal rights for women in the workforce. Women could be denyed a job purely based on the fact that they were a female. Of course, in America today we know that this type of discrimination can't be allowed. It is hard to fathom the fact that women were not allowed to have the same rights as everyone else enjoyed. I am so grateful as a female that Affirmative Action became a law so that all minorities in our country can be judged based on their skill and not on their gender, ethnicity, or religion.

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I recently read a new article that was written about Affirmative Action as it pertains to education. As many of you may or may not know Affirmative Action is used throughout colleges and universities in our country. This affects all of us because it means that someone that is a minority may be accepted on the basis of race, religion, or handicap over someone that may have better grades. I know that this sounds really bad but after reading the article I had to rethink my original opinion. I hadn't originally considered the fact that the schools that are in more upper class neighborhoods have more funds available therefore often providing better educations to those in that district. That means those with the money to give to the schools have better educations than those living in inner city areas. Coming from a social justice perspective, how is this fair? In my opinion, it's only fair to have Affirmative Action in place to allow everyone the same rights. Below is a link to the article. I am sure you will find it interesting.

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/04/08/affirm

I also saw this cartoon and found it fitting for the subject. Remember all Americans deserve the same rights!




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