Affirmative action has become an issue and not a resolution. The only solution that affirmative action has been able to resolve is meeting a quota. I feel that the only thing affirmative action has done is create a different sector of discrimination. Instead of minorities being discriminated, the majority is now being turned away because they are the majority and because the employer must meet a quota of minorities. Fryer, R.(2009)
An example of this exact idea is a present case in New Haven, Connecticut. Where statistically speaking there were more white people in the city than blacks or Hispanics, yet the city had to meet a quota to where a certain number of blacks were promoted. The issue is not the fact that more blacks needed to be promoted, the issue was that the white firefighters were better qualified for the position. Ricci vs. Destefano (2009) This in my opinion is wrong. You want to fill a position with the best candidate regardless of race, it is about who is more qualified for the position.
I feel that affirmative action has or is causing reverse discrimination. I believe that affirmative action is no longer needed and as long as everyone treats each others as equals we would never have a problem. I do understand that affirmative action needed to be in place over 30 years ago when people were not being treated as equals. Now 30 years later the same laws and principals are causing a reverse in their main objective. Fryer, R.(2009) Minorities have more rights and more opportunity than the majority.
My husband’s father came to America in the late 20’s from Spain. He worked his way to pay for his citizenship and to establish his self worth in this country. He started a stone business in Washington, D.C. that is still running and growing to this day. He has since passed on and left the business to his children. Back then when my husband’s dad came into this country, the minorities needed the extra boost. It was very difficult for them to get anywhere.
Now I believe that anyone who is qualified for the position should be hired for the position, regardless of any status. This brings me to comparable worth. It is true that women are typically paid less than men, White, Black or Latino. However, are they paid less because of the type of job they do, or are they paid less because they are considered less? Women are generally paid less because they hold positions that are paid less an hour. Gold, M. (1984)
An example of this would be a secretary vs. plumbers assistant. A few years ago I worked as an administrative assistant making $11.00 an hour and my ex husband worked as a plumbers assistant making $11.00 an hour. The reason for this is because that is what the position paid. Another example would be Emergency Medical Services; the people that perform these duties are paid according to their level of knowledge and time. If you take a woman that is at the entry level and a man at the same level they’re starting pay is exactly the same. This is how it should be; you should be hired and paid according to your level of knowledge and skill not because you are a certain race or gender.
This idea still holds to my selection of “Principle of Duties” as a moral philosophy. You should treat others the way you would have them treat you. You would want to be treated as an equal going for a job interview or a promotion, so why would you not do the same for other people.
References
Fryer, R.(2009) Implicit Quotas, Harvard University and NBER, Retrieved on June 29, 2009
from http://www.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/fryer/files/fryer-audit-jan08-v3.pdf
Ricci vs. Destefano (2009) 557 US, Nos. 07-1428 and 08-328, United States Supreme Court,
Retrieved June 29, 2009 from http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/08pdf/07-1428.pdf
Gold, M. (1984) A Dialogue of Comparable Worth, Cornell University Press, Retrieved June 29,
2009 from
http://books.google.com/books?id=_Xsiz1gj09IC&printsec;=frontcover&source;=gbs_nav
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