<p>This is truly a great place to talk politics, so I thought I’d bring up one of the most controversial processes in college acceptance, scholarships and admissions and how it effects politics.</p>
<p>My take on it - I feel that the affirmative action is utilized on both sides of the political spectrum. Especially in the republican party, which is very unfortunate to me, as it is usually the party I side with and invest trust in on the gravest of issues. The affirmative action is unfair and unjust in my opinion. It may sound like a redundant argument, but for every opportunity one is granted that they did not earn, another isn’t granted an opportunity that they did earn, it is unfair to pull others into the dark because a minority was also historically in the dark. Race aside, equally qualified people should be considered equally.</p>
<p>So, I hope to see some varying opinions and individual takes on this.</p>
<p>If there are good opportunities for everyone, then affirmative action is not so bad. Say you didn’t get into Princeton because a minority took “your” slot. If you got to go to Northwestern, you really don’t have a beef. The admission process for undergraduates is not a “zero sum game”.</p>
<p>Okay, I understand where you are coming from, but to elaborate on my original post, which lacked something in composure I was attempting for, is it ethical? If it is mutually unacceptable to specifically seek out and select whites, why is it okay with minorities?</p>
<p>Frankly, regardless of what the government asks, the top colleges will employ some degree of affirmative action. Also, it is not for you to debate such actions taken by private institutions–it is their right. Even as a member of a minority race/religion/heritage I think universities (and any private institution, for that matter) should have the right to exclude based on any factor. Hell, even as a supporter of gay marriage, I believe a church has the RIGHT to refuse services to those who are homosexual. </p>
<p>This is not any different. However “unfair” it is, it is the right of the institution.</p>
<p>I don’t care if affirmative action exists. I care about whether it will <em>end</em>.</p>
<p>There has been no evidence whatsoever that the racial divide on the SAT test will ever be closed. If it won’t happen does that mean that AA will exist to infinity? That seems like a monumental waste of resources.</p>
<p>My college brought in an anti-affirmative action speaker last year to host a question and answer session about the policy. He was also brought in to foster a debate on illegal immigration. Before he could even speak he had to be evacuated for his safety as protesters broke out windows in the room where he was speaking and threatened his life.</p>
<p>There was another speech on affirmative action three weeks later. Eight people were arrested at that one. </p>
<p>Touchy subject. Personally, I don’t like it. I guess that makes me a racist.</p>
<p>You are correct thus far, yes. But it is worth inquiring that say, a private, top of the line university decides to specifically accept caucasians with at least three generations of U.S.-born heritage, would this erupt in a huge, scandalous, fury of chaos? Do minorities have room to complain?</p>
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<p>Wow, it’s shocking that it was taken so seriously. I really don’t know what to say. From my standpoint, the affirmative action was a very hypocritical cause. The original point was to give the previously oppressed opportunities, but in the process it brought upon an entirely new era of oppression on to whites. As the simple, yet timeless old adage goes, two wrongs don’t equal a right.</p>
<p>Agreed. Private institutions (e.g. private colleges) have every right to bar anyone from entering, in the same way I can deny anyone from coming into my house. The government’s using force to regulate decisions concerning private property is immoral. Affirmative action, to put it simply, says that one has to let x percent of a certain type of people onto one’s property. Even for public colleges, affirmative action is wrong because it explicitly favors certain sections of the taxpaying population, and is inherently unequal.</p>
<p>Equal opportunity to compete does not mean equal results. For colleges that pride themselves on academics, athletics, etc., the qualifications of an applicant in those fields are the only relevant terms.</p>
Of course they have room to complain. It is, by the same token, their right to complain. Just like I can complain about the gas station rising prices on charcoal.</p>
<p>Oh, but they do, this is common practice in the “free”, developed world amongst many aspects. Why should it not extend to private educational institutions?</p>
<p>Well, the point that I was trying to make is that international variations of “free world” government don’t just limit our activities in public. Why should private universities be exempt from the same government intrusion that is projected onto my private, domestic life?</p>
<p>Private schools can also discrimate on gender. That is, there is an imbalance of girls to boys in college admissions - there tend to be a larger number of female applicants vs male applicants. It is a huge deal right now in the college admissions world. </p>
<p>When a school has too many girls, the boys tend to not want to apply, as often.</p>
<p>Sorry, I left that comment a little to open ended, I thought this forum was above needing such things spoon fed to them. My apologies. </p>
<p>I was writing in a general sense. My opposition on this forum seemed to be arguing that private institutions should be free of government standards/regulations. My answer was that the government most certainly does regulate by domestic life so why can’t it intrude into private universities as well to benefit the majority of U.S. citizens. The easily decipherable common denominator of both is that they’re private, why impose a double standard? So it’s using the same ticket per se, I suppose…</p>
![http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/1995-SAT-Income2.png[/url]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/1995-SAT-Income2.png%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
