congratulations snowbird
Why I Disagree With Affirmative Action
by snowbird 45 Replies latest social current
-
-
snowbird
Tee hee hee, again.
Love you, girl!
Syl
-
garyneal
A few years ago, I was in a training meeting with a few other individuals and human resources. The people at this company are sometimes a bit honest to a fault. The head of human resources commented on affirmative action and how we as a company were very diverse in all our departments except engineering. She made it very clear that the company needed to take whatever steps were needed to correct that.
This did not sit well with me as I really wanted to move into engineering and felt like I was qualified. All I kept thinking was, "If only I were black, they'd put me on the fast track in." My wife, who is black, said, "Perhaps they'd make you one simply by your being married to me." HA HA...
Needless to say, I had to really prove myself to them before they realized what they had and gave me the job. Cannot help but to think that if I were black, all I'd have to say is, "I have a degree in Engineering," and they would've looked for ways to get me in.
A few years before that, I was working at another company in the MIS department. My boss decided that they needed another computer operator to assist me. The truth is, there was not enough workload to justify the hiring and frankly, the second person was getting in my way more than helping me. They hired whoever would take the job it seemed as the persons they hired had no real interest in learning and doing a good job. It became apparent on the second to third hire what was going on. They needed to fill their affirmative action quotas. One of my co-workers told me his brother applied for the job and was not even considered. This job really had no requirements beyond some college or a two year degree, which this brother of his was pursuing and the people we hired weren't any more qualified. However, he and his brother were half white / half asian and all the people that were being hired were black.
After working about three years as an engineer at my current company, we finally hired a black person to fill an engineering position. He was suppose to be a software engineer but his expertise was mostly in PLC's and doing equipment maintenance. He talked a good talk and lied on his resume about his software experience. It became apparent very quickly that he was more a liability than an asset but we tried to work with him as best as we could. He worked with us for about a year before moving onto something else. One thing for sure, as much as he lies to people about his qualifications, experience, and even current salary he has one asset, he is a black man working in engineering. He will always find employment in this field.
Lastly, I remember placing my resume on CareerBuilder and noticed they had a checkbox for you to select if you wanted employers who are looking to take special consideration for minority candidates. I checked it but the question remains in my mind is, "Why should it matter?"
-
quietlyleaving
snowbird
I'm guessing that although you were top of the hiring list you did not get the job
As to affirmative action it still alive and kicking here but has the added dimension of enabling people with disabilities and the elderly to work. On the other hand jobless queues are full of younger people. No easy answers. However it seems to me that people with disabilities and the elderly are more willing to take any ole job and very often are proud just to be working.
From some of the comments, it sounds like affirmative action is no longer practiced (or has waned) in the US.
-
Mad Dawg
Part of the problem is that people are set up to fail. I have a friend that is a professor at a college near where I live. He tells of students that are not prepared for college that are admitted on the basis of being some under represented minority. The majority go home before the first semester is done. They then tell all their friends and neighbors how hard it was and don't bother.
There is a fair share that make it. Usually with huge amounts of help and tutoring, but they wouldn't have made it without the hand-holding. The problem is that if they get a job in the field, they won't be able to perform to the standard that would be expected. The results being what has been mentioned in previous posts.
The key would be to enroll them in trade schools or college programs that they can be sure of completing. This would boost the student's self esteem and prepare him for a productive future. As people are able to escape poor neighborhoods - or improve the ones they are in, others will be inspired to do the same.
-
snowbird
snowbird
I'm guessing that although you were top of the hiring list you did not get the job.
I accepted another position much closer to home because I was taking care of my aged mother.
Syl
-
beksbks
Keyser, have I told you lately that I love you?
-
beksbks
It's called bread of shame, Burns. It's a tool the politicians, especially Democrats, use to keep people down and feeling inferior. Perhaps their intention was honorable (I doubt it though), but in the larger picture, it accomplishes just the opposite
Do you ever bother to get a clue?
-
mrsjones5
This topic reminds me of when I tried out for drill team at my high school. After going through the whole drama and stress of learning the routine and performing in the front of the judges the spirit squad coach declared to all of the candidates that they all made the team, the good and the bad. She said that she needed a certain amount of girls to make the team and since she didn't get a really large pool to pick from everyone made it. I was miffed because I wanted to know if I was really qualified to make the team and the effort that I put out was for not (I always had the doubt thereafter that if circumstances had been different I wouldn't have made the team).
I've never been the kinda of person who wanted to be given a job simply because of my skin color or sex because there would be always that doubt that I really didn't deserve it. I would like to think that I obtained the positions that I had based on my experience and proven skill, not because I am a double minority. The black folks that I know feel the same way (I'm thinking of my sister who is a Berkeley alum and a senior exectative at Cole Haan (if I have to explain who they are you can't afford their products) and my brother, a web designer who's clients include organisations such as Stanford University) but I'm sure there are black folks who have tried to take advantage of affirmative action who weren't qualified to the the job. The program was never perfect, more of a stopgap that sometimes worked and sometimes didn't.
-
SixofNine
Well Sylvia, if you think your little anecdote is a serious argument against affirmative action, you are crazy.