Resolved: Affirmative action should be practiced in college admissions.

For clarification, I will be putting my opponents arguments in "<,>" and my own after with "---". ---This entire argument lives upon the idea that these institution will abuse this power. Well this is certainly true, but A) There will be more abuse with simple ‘equal opportunity' (if you can even call it that) and B) The resolution looks at affirmative action as an idea (ignoring the abuse of the possible institution). Therefore, we SHOULD allow this idea to exist, that way we could have a tie breaker to help the disadvantaged as PROVEN with evidence. ---I wasn't showing how we should increase pay for women (that is given). What I was trying to prove is that there is a built in disadvantage. And as you have yet to disprove this, it must be flowed through to the end of this debate which shows that Affirmative Action is the ONLY way to create fairness for college admissions. ---Cross-apply the money disadvantage first of all. Getting paid less shows a favoritism game. ---Furthermore, from: . http://www.now.org... (if you want the actual source, click on the link and go to the bottom of the page, it gives SEVERAL) -QUOTE: "Affirmative Action is fair… Women and people of color still face discrimination…Affirmative Action is necessary so that women and people of color of every economic class have the opportunity to enter all fields…Affirmative Action helps qualified candidates overcome racism and sexism… (in) Fact: If half of the people of color who are admitted to schools under affirmative action programs were cut, the acceptance rates of white men would only increase by 2%. .. Lots of people get "special" consideration when applying for jobs or to schools… Everyone benefits when discrimination is eliminated… (in essence) Affirmative Action = Equal Opportunities. " END QUOTE ---Need I say more? This shows that the only way to give equality is through affirmative action, and to the point where the resolution says that "Affirmative Action should be used" we must pass this resolution, because without it, there would be too great of a deficit for women and minorities to overcome. ---No one is superior to anyone. That is exactly why we need affirmative action as well as equal opportunity (give the institution the choice). By recognizing the fact that this built in disadvantage makes it more difficult for a minority or woman to get into college, then we SHOULD use affirmative action (as well as equal opportunity). ---Actually, people with poor financial records have no problems getting into college if they try just like everyone else. In fact, once they get into college, they get a bunch of free money just because they don't have any money (FAFSA, etc. ) while someone like me who has parents that make plenty but don't give me a dime for college. Furthermore, this point isn't backed up with any evidence that this would be the way to go (he just says it). Not to mention that Affirmative Action STILL gives a disadvantaged group. Perhaps if you accept this argument, then give impoverished people AND minorities and women special acceptance policies. Either way, affirmative action should STILL be used. ---Flow this through to the end of the round IMMEDIATLEY! ---First of all, I don't see ‘definite' in the resolution. Second of all, just because something SHOULD be done, doesn't mean it's the only thing that should be done. For example: Women SHOULD have the right to vote. I would affirm this topic, however, it does not mean that men should not have the right to vote because generally every SHOULD have the right to vote. Also, my opponent is simply switching his position to squirrel out of my argument. If you refer back to my second speech, I flowed through my tie-breaker argument BECAUSE IT WAS DROPPED. Only now does he pick it back up again, don't let him do this. Finally, affirmative action is a choice. Saying it should be used is like saying it should be a choice. -If I win this argument, I win the debate. If I lose this argument, they are still at a disadvantage and we still need this tie breaker anyway. ---From the same link from earlier in my speech: -"Myth: ‘Affirmative Action is "reverse discrimination" — let's stop giving special rights to certain groups while others are left out'… (wrong) ‘Fact: Affirmative Action is fair! ' Affirmative Action levels the playing field so people of color and all women have the chance to compete in education and in business. White men hold 95% to 97% of the high-level corporate jobs. And that's with affirmative action programs in place" -You see, affirmative action is not racist it DOES just level the playing field (as proven time and again). My opponent talks about how we USED to be racist with slavery. But all this proves is that racism (and sexism) is not AS BAD. But saying that it doesn't still exist is completely non-factual. You could even look to Obama, but unfortunately at school, I have heard students talking about how he will (and should) die. RACISM STILL EXSITS. ---Ok, thanks. But if you don't buy that (even though he said it), generally affirmative action is used for admission to RARE seats in college. 10 seats with 10,000 applicants, the odds are not as low as you'd think. ---Funny, I thought affirmative action IS being 'used' right now, but there are NO mandates whatsoever. The resolution says that it SHOULD be used, not that it MUST be used. ---Affirmative action does NOT infringe upon this right. ---My arguments about women stands regardless of this. ---Unless this person is going to apply for application and lie on his application, and then continue to wear a bag around campus, I doubt he will slip by. Furthermore, when you apply for a driver's license, you must put your race. If you lie about it, you will be caught eventually. But in reality, if one guy slips by the system, my benefits of giving disadvantaged people an equal playing ground FAR outweighs the chances for abuse. Not to mention that my opponent did not give ANY statistics or pragmatic methods that this system even could be abused. For all of these reasons, I urge my judges to vote PRO! (As far as a personal preference however: Please make sure that my opponent does not use any new arguments in his last speech. This causes obvious abuse. ) I want to thank my opponent for this extremely educational and extremely fun debate! It has been an honor and I hope to see you in the single-elimination bracket in April! Good luck in your final speech!