Race Based Affirmative Action in Universities

I concede that colleges may want to pick students to select a diverse campus. However, race still does not need to be a direct factor. Diverse experiences does not necessarily mean diverse races. The average SAT score for Harvard is a 2260 [1]. The average SAT score for African-Americans admitted to Harvard was 2149 [2]. This means that, overall, the African-americans who were admitted had a below average SAT score. Without affirmative action, they most likely would not have been accepted, as their scores were clearly lower than average. Low income accounts for some, but not all, of this discrepancy. Note that in your response to question 3, you never used the word "race", or mentioned any in particular. I can't find any studies on it, but I'm certain all races would vote against gerrymandering; it shouldn't matter which races we educate, as all races need to be represented politically. Also, eliminating race based affirmative action would not eliminate minorities from colleges. Community colleges, and less selective public and private schools would still be enrolling African-americans, ensuring that they are heard politically. UC Berkeley is one of the top institutions in the world. Its student body is approximately 42% asian, 24% white, 12% hispanic, and 3% african-american [3]. It does not implement RBAA. Stanford, it's neighbor across the bay, is 20% asian, 37% white, 6% african-american, and 15% hispanic [4]. While there are differences between the schools, it is most likely RBAA played a huge role in the smaller amounts of asians in Stanford, and the increase in African-americans and hispanics. Clearly, if RBAA is not implemented, more asian-americans and whites would be accepted. My opponent argues that if RBAA is implemented, then more minorities will vote, which will help get rid of political nuisances. First off, more minorities voting does not necessarily mean more minorities will be elected. Ben Carson will very likely not receive a large amount of the black vote; policies, not race, should matter when making political decisions. Furthermore, universities have NO obligation to make sure minorities vote. A higher voter turnout will certainly lead to a more democratic process. But almost all races have low voter turnout, not just african-americans [5]. Using an institution (colleges) that isn't tied to the voting process to attempt to increase minority voter turnout is unnecessary. And, as elaborated above, it deprives asian-americans and whites of college spots they were qualified for. My opponent argues that minorities that aren't advantaged by RBAA already have well-established socioeconomic status. But Iraqi, Bangladeshi, Vietnamese, Thai, and Yugoslavian immigrants are all in the poorer half of ethnic groups. None of these groups would be advantaged by RBAA. This is why socioeconomic affirmative action is more effective. I am still unsure why colleges should accept minorities off of regional proportions. The only argument my opponent has offered is that it will improve voter turnout. Colleges are not responsible for voter turnout. Furthermore, as I explained above, eliminating RBAA will not eliminate minorities from colleges. Community colleges, online colleges, and many other approaches allow for a bachelor's or associate's degree, improving the odds that minorities will vote. Implementing RBAA will deny more qualified candidates the spots they deserve. I agree that we need more minorities in higher education. But the solution isn't to give them an advantage in the admissions process, when they deserve none. Again, many options exist for them to receive a college education. We could also implement programs to ensure low income students, many of them african-american or hispanic, can succeed in school. My opponents main argument is invalid; just because RBAA does not exist still allows for minorities to achieve an education, and vote. Please vote for con. [1] http://www.prepscholar.com... [2] http://features.thecrimson.com... [3] http://opa.berkeley.edu... [4] http://ucomm.stanford.edu... [5] [6] http://www.census.gov...