Affirmative Action to promote equal opportunity in the United States is justified

Very Structured :) Kudos. Here's my neg: It is without a doubt that Affirmative Action was a needed policy during a time when true racial and gender equality was just a dream. However, the continued use of policies are no longer needed, and further implementation of Affirmative Action prevents the United States from become a totally "color blind" state. Therefore, as the negative, we stand in firm opposition to the resolution that affirmative action to promote equal opportunity in the United States is justified. Definitions: We will define Affirmative Action as any policy or program that seeks to redress past discrimination. Equal opportunity will be defined as opportunity that is free from discrimination. And justified will be defined as morally acceptable or right. Resolutional Analysis: We as the negation are here today to prove that Affirmative action is unjust and is no longer needed in the United States. Contention one: AFFIRMATIVE ACTION HAS OUTLIVED ITS USEFULNESS Looking at who is now the most powerful man in the world, it is clear the Affirmative Action has done its job. Barrack Obama's election proves that the American people are not institutionally racist. Yes, there will always be racism. But Affirmative action has done its job in reducing the amount of it to a minimum. If Americans make a black person the most powerful man in the world, how can racial prejudice be so prevalent and potent that it justifies special efforts to place minorities in coveted jobs and schools? The simple answer to this question is that Affirmative Action is no longer needed. When you look at the success of Hilary Clinton and Barrack Obama, it becomes clear that the United States has moved away from the shameful past of segregation and discrimination. The American people can vote regardless of color or gender, so we should allow them to truly hire without care of color or gender. Contention two: AFFIRMATIVE ACTION DOES MORE HARM THAN GOOD. The intentions of Affirmative Action may have been good, but it ended up bringing about more problems than it solves, such as diminishing the credibility of minorities and reverse discrimination. Currently, eighty percent of whites and 71 percent of Hispanics are against the special preference given by Affirmative Action. When a minority is hired or accepted into a school based solely on affirmative action, it takes away the credibility of all minorities. Affirmative Action makes Americans think that most minorities involved in elite activities are only there because of Affirmative Action. As you can imagine, this can be quite demeaning to minorities. The stated purpose of affirmative action according to the resolution is to promote equal opportunity. The philosophy behind Affirmative Action is that over time, minorities will be indistinguishable from majorities statistically and socially. But the very policy of Affirmative Action is detrimental to the success of minorities in achieving equality. By granting minorities special privileges, you set them apart from majorities. If you want to make the statement that minorities are equal, then treat them equally. Reverse discrimination has also become a major concern involving Affirmative Action. Reverse discrimination, otherwise known as "positive discrimination", gives an unfair bias toward minorities and women. This reverse discrimination does not promote equal opportunity. To give an advantage to a certain race or gender causes discrimination, which is the very thing that Affirmative Action strives to eliminate. Continued use of affirmative action is no longer beneficial for racial and gender equality. Instead of promoting equal opportunity, affirmative action promotes preferences for minorities. CONTENTION THREE: AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IS RACIST. In his Brief in the case of Brown vs. Board of Education, Thurgood Marshall, then executive director of the Legal Defense Fund of the NAACP, wrote in 1954: "Distinctions by race are so evil, so arbitrary and invidious that a state, bound to defend the equal protection of the laws must not invoke them in any public sphere". Racism, by definition, grants rights to or takes rights from an ethnic group on the basis of biological characteristics. Affirmative Action grants rights to minorities solely on the basis of racism, as well as denies certain opportunities to racial majorities. Therefore, Affirmative Action, by definition, is racist. Minorities in the past have suffered severe discrimination on the basis of race. The fundamental belief behind racism is that races are different from each other in mental abilities, and that some races of people are superior to others. The philosophy behind Affirmative Action is that minorities are in a disadvantaged situation they themselves cannot remedy, and that Affirmative Action will tip the scales to promote equal opportunity in the United States. In truth, Affirmative Action implies that because of generations of discrimination, minorities in the US have become inferior to majorities, and therefore are incapable of competing on a level playing field. This corresponds with the racist belief that some races are inferior to others. It also implies that minorities will never be able to pick themselves up, and that they are incapable of achieving the same standards as whites. Every citizen in the United States is equal under common law, therefore, Affirmative Action is not necessary. To summarize, Affirmative action is no longer needed, it creates more harm than good, and it is racist. Because of these points I urge a strong vote in the negation of the resolution.