Children of Former Slaves

Well, you probably knew that this was coming at some point. As a Conservative in college, I was bound to encounter the issue of Affirmative Action at some point. It is something that is distinctly unavoidable in a University setting.

Before I go any further, I just want to make one point, I am specifically dealing with public institutions here, not private ones. While Affirmative Action may still be a wrong and terrible way to select students, private Universities or colleges, like all other private entities in this country, have a right to select students in any manner they so choose.

The first question I always have with Affirmative Action is this, why is race even an issue in college admissions? Why is that section, the one were you 'check the ethnicity that best applies,' even on any college application? A person's race has nothing to do with whether they are worthy of a spot in a Universities incoming Freshman class, their credentials are what matter. And it is quite odd that many Blacks see Affirmative Action as a continuation of the Civil Rights movement. Last I checked Dr Martin Luther King Jr's 'Dream' was to have his children judged "not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." In other words, a person's race should have nothing to do with the type of person they are, or the qualities they possess which make them worthy or unworthy of college admissions. Yet, admissions officers still consider a person's race an important part of their character. Dr King would seem to disagree.

Another argument that is made for Affirmative Action goes something like this: minorities have been an oppressed bunch for years and now is our time to make it up to them. First of all wrongfully rejecting a white student in favor of a less qualified black or Hispanic one is a racist action, thus making it as morally reprehensible as other forms of racial discrimination. Furthermore, admitting the grandchild of a former slave, does not atone for some other dead white man's past sins towards minorities. Both the slave and slave master are dead, it is time to move on. Thus we have a classic scenario where we are compensating for one wrong by performing another; two wrongs to make it right. Unfortunately, as you have hopefully been told, two wrongs don't make a right. Additionally, this notion that two wrongs make a right is not just contrary to a good piece of advice that Momma gave you, its also a logical fallacy. Indeed, the fact that your ancestors were wronged does not mean you are entitled to anything. As Mark Twain once said "The world owes you nothing. It was here first."

Another argument that is frequently made is that Blacks and Hispanics often come from disadvantaged or poor school districts, and thus may need help getting into school because they just haven’t had the proper education. First of all, underlying this argument is a hard truth: the students haven't had the training, and don't have the credentials to get in, and thus shouldn't. Secondly, the problem of a poor school district is not solved by giving those students unique advantages in college admissions; it is solved by bettering the school district. College or university admissions has nothing to do with the actual problem. So you see, in this way Affirmative Action actually hurts the minorities, because instead of solving the problem they have with poor public high schools, A.A simply offers a solution by saying 'we know you've had a bad education, but we'll correct the problem'. Even if this does seem an appropriate solution to you, how do you deal with the students in these districts who don't go to college, and never plan too? Do they just miss out?

The final thing I will say is that Affirmative Action is the most detrimental to the people that it is intended to help. Why should a black man, who is perfectly capable of getting accepted at say, Harvard, be forced to walk around knowing that people will wonder if he really earned his spot in Harvard, or if it was just handed to him? I thought Blacks wanted to eliminate ignorant stereotypes, such as that they are a stupider race, and that they are lazy and incapable of putting forth the effort necessary to get into college? Affirmative Action does just the opposite, it tells blacks that they can't get in on their own, and that they need special assistance to get in. And this is simply false and inaccurate.