Abstract
Discrimination affects every one every day regardless of whether they be a single person, a business or higher education. Technically there are no special circumstances for anyone, especially when it comes to the law under federal regulations. Discrimination based upon race, credd, sex, age and physical abilities are the lines that are more prominent and the ones that are also listed under affirmative action.
Reverse discrimination is a discrimination of sorts against races or genders, usually seen in college admissions and sometimes in specific business industries. These type of discriminations inhibit a male or female or certain races from being acceptaped into their colleges simply because they are male or female or because of their race. These colleges will tend to use the excuse that they have already filled their quota for the specific circumstance of acceptability and they say they are sorry. The reverse of this is what once would have never happened and now it is.
Where once the discrimination of races were against those that were colored or of a different country, this racism has now spread to those who are white and maybe even poor. This type of racism is seen in legacy students as well. Legacy students are admitted based upon who their parents, as previous alumni, were. These special standards of admission are highly unfair.
Colleges have also gone out of their way to balance the minority scales and in doing so have created a racism and gender blind discriminatory stance of those who once were not considered a viable resource for discrimantions and this becomes part of their normal admissions policy thus leaving certain protected classes in the cold and violating the affirmative action of the Federal Government and Supreme Court Rulings and sometimes all without realizing that they are doing so.
Affirmative action is originally that of addressing concerns with different races and women. This was to help provide certain rules that allowed what once wasn’t allowed and put forth programs and regulations into play that allowed women, different races or even men and those with disabilities to obtain the same level of ability as another, in the world of paperwork and differences. Affirmative actions is about positive steps in helping those within a protected class to achieve equal status of those who are not part of these classes.
The University who does not number admissions is not dealing with quotas and so in this the denial of admissions to the young man seems completely discriminatory considering his academics were just as good as others who had previously been admitted thus leaving the conclusion that he was discriminated against simply because of either his gender or race.
The Supreme Court’s 1954 desegregation ruling, said Judge Shorett, held that “public education must be equally available to all regardless of race.” This covers those that are of a different color. Furthermore the addition of gender is also equal. It was this time that outlawed educational segregation just as before and after strides were being taken to allow women voters and equal rights with regards to employment.
When thinking of affirmative actions or federally protected classes of discrimination, which amounts to the same thing, the majority of people will think first to employment related issues. Discriminatatory problems happen still where ever one goes. Women voters seem to no longer be looked down upon but there are still many who are biased against those who are colored or against gender or race specifically.
America still has a long ways to go in the educational, employment and housing sectors with regards to these issues and more and more those who feel discriminated against are speaking out which in turn is helping to shape America and those with biased opinions that do nothing but hurt their fellow man. These actions of protection bring greater rights to those who are considered a minority and the shift in this minority is now including men where once it would have never been thought of that men could ever be a minority. The same also goes for the race of whites. More and more those who never had to worry about being discrimnated aghainst are finding themselves the minority and the territory that comes with being considered as such thus having to learn the same way the previous minorities did. Their lucky break in this is that the government over time has put in many of the regulations that they won’t have to fight to get, instead they will face new hurdles and the ones already in place will help.
Socio economically challenged persons are also starting to feel a shift in being, if not discriminated against then slightly prejudiced words or actions being spoken about them. This perception most likely will continue to unfurl over decades of time and eventually end up also within a protected class so that their economic status is not allowed to be looked down upon. When this comes about, it is my opinion that this needs a careful hand simply because of the financial aspect. If economic classes come under protection, this could affect the future of loans for housing, vehicles or credit card companies, where the financial status is the biggest reason for acceptance or denial.
References
- Edwin Chen and Matea Gold / Los Angeles Times, Bush, Kerry praise 1954 desegregation ruling, May 18, 2004, http://dailyuw.com/2004/5/18/bush-kerry-praise-1954-desegregation-ruling/
- Marquita Sykes, The Origins of Affirmative Action, C. 1995-2000, http://www.now.org/nnt/08-95/affirmhs.html
Time, Reverse Discrimination, October 11, 1971, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,903191,00.html
