Monday, June 24, 2013

Lunchtime musings: affirmative action

The debate on affirmative action is a tricky topic to tackle. On the one hand, it makes sense that people should only be judged on the merits of their hard work.

Yet, opponents of affirmative action sometimes forget, purposely or otherwise, that people of color face other challenges that are daunting to say the least. Racism, whether overt or subtle, is not dead in America, and if two candidates for entrance into an institution for higher education are contending for the same spot, a person's race could be considered, given the challenges they have likely faced in their lives.

Race in and of itself shouldn't be a determinant in whether a person should be accepted -- these individuals should have to show they have earned a spot in whatever school they apply to, just as other applicants have. But disregarding a person's background underscores what they have overcome so far to get to this point, and shouldn't be ignored when it comes to the application process for college.

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