Affirmative Action

Your blanket statement that with every positive benefit (is there really a negative benefit?) of affirmative action, there is an equal and opposite negative effect is not backed up by what anything you've said. So I'll leave the burden of proof on your side and wait for you to prove that assertion. People argue that it gives minorities more opportunities because it does. The results of affirmative action policies are indisputable. The wages of minorities and women have increased since affirmative action policies have been implemented, and the number of women and minorities in many industries has increased. I will go more in depth on this in later rounds. The latest numbers I've seen show the unemployment rate of African-Americans at 13.4%. The white unemployment rate was 7.3%.About 40.9 Million African-Americans live in the U.S. About 221.3 Million Whites live in the U.S. If you employ every single African-American in place of white Americans, that still only affects 2.7% of whites. The claim that it equally robs the majorities of opportunity does not have much merit. It is irrelevant anyway. Affirmative action only applies to qualified candidates. It is not robbing a majority of an opportunity if both people are qualified. In order to rob them of opportunity, the opportunity would have to be deserved in the first place. It is justified to ask some citizens to take up this burden to promote a social good, which affirmative action is. It's important that we take steps in assuring that our universities and workplaces more accurately represent the demographics of society. However, I don't believe in racial quotas. Your fifth claim is rather ridiculous. I have not seen any empirical evidence to back up the notion that affirmative action decreases employers' profits. As the burden of proof is on your side, I'll wait for your proof on this. The sixth claim really doesn't mean much. I also don't see what your evidence for the claim is. In a diverse environment, people will obviously be more open and willing to accept other cultures. We've seen studies regarding what eliminating affirmative action will do. A study from October 3, 2007 predicts a 35 percent drop in the enrollment from underrepresented minority groups at the most competitive colleges if affirmative action is eliminated. (Link: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu...) A Princeton University study found that ignoring race in college admissions would result in sharp declines of African-Americans and Hispanics in top colleges. (Link: http://www.princeton.edu...) These studies are based in part on the states who have already eliminated affirmative action. Affirmative action is important to help undo past wrongs. Until 1954, blacks were legally forced into segregation. They were forced into their own sections of towns. They were discriminated against to the point that many were in poverty and few blacks were in positions of power. Doing nothing to help African-Americans get back on their feet economically after over 200 years of oppression is unconscionable. African-Americans still are making about 76 cents to every dollar a white man makes. (http://pubdb3.census.gov... and http://pubdb3.census.gov...) It is important for African-Americans to be compensated for past wrongs, and it is important for them to actually have an equal shot at life. Those who have been affected socially and economically by discrimination and slavery should have their accounts taken into consideration. Their disadvantages in life should obviously be taken into consideration. The point of affirmative action is that both candidates for a specific position are qualified. One of the qualified candidates just had to face more discrimination in their upbringing and that is why they are given the benefit of the doubt.