Affirmative Action, the set of public policies and initiatives designed to help eliminate past and present discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.What is the Cartoonist trying to say, and is there any validity to his point? Do you agree or disagree with the current system (or opinion) of affirmative action?
11 comments:
In this cartoon, the artist argues [interesting little piece of alliteration there!] that affirmative action is unfair because it gives minorities the ability to perform more weakly academically and have the same opportunities as those who are not a minority who perform more successfully. The point of the artist is valid, but it is demonstrated in a matter I find over the top. Though I believe that in some cases affirmative action provides an unfair advantage, I do think that it also provides help to minorities and increases the diversity of schools and workplaces.
As a response to the centuries of forced enslavement of African Americans and subjugation that existed even after the Civil War, United States domestic policy has advocated for an evening of the playing field by subsidizing one demographic's playing field. The cartoonist plays on this contradictory and ironic statement by showing the unfairness in affirmative action. The white child is concerned about his SAT performance while the black child appears to be unaffected by the test because he knows his racial status will aid him. This is a clear appeal to ethos because it shows how two students in America's education system are seen completely differently. While the white child is shown as being judged off his merits, the black child is judged off his demographic. This type of ethical violation seems to be a direct appeal to the viewer. The average American is raised in an environment that preaches fairness and equality and thus the cartoonist hoped that the statements by both boys would create a questioning process in the viewer's mind. However, to achieve his or her overall arguement about affirmative action, the cartoonist uses oversimplification. Their are many factors that go on into determining who benefits from affirmative action beyond skin color. Colleges and other academic systems consider social status, economic status and other intangibles that the student brings. By portraying the statements of both students in such a contrasting way, the cartoonist uses a hasty generalization that takes away all merits of the black child. This type of mentality could lead to a slippery slope connection about minorities that many have assumed today. Because of such hasty generalizations, minorities are seen as being given so-called handouts by many in society. However, the cartoonist still has great merit in his arguement that one should not be given an advantage over an uncontrollable naturalistic variable. The setting, which is a meeting outside of a SAT testing center, plays into the cartoonists hands. It alludes to a difference in colleges and future dreams for each student because of affirmative action. One should not the cartoonist does this by never focusing on the merits of either candidates but rather by using them as props to describe the greater situation. When he or she does, it becomes clear that an unequal divide exits as presented.
For my own views on affirmative action, I will provide two warrants that should point to my opinion.
An Asian American's SAT score is devalued 50 points at many highly selective colleges in America while an African American's score is raised as much as 230 points. Also, as Martin Luther King once preached, he wanted his children to be judged by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin.
This cartoon is making a statement against affirmative action by demonstrating how minorities can get greater educational opportunities when there are equally smart white people qualified for the position. This cartoon is valid because in today's society having a hispanic or african or any minority background can present opportunities that aren't even available to white people. There are a lot of scholarships solely for African American students or Hispanic American Students, but there are no scholarships (in my knowledge) that are for people with european decent. I do think that we should help minorities and promote diversity, but people should be accepted for positions because they deserve to be there not because of their race.
The cartoonist is trying to say that affirmative action is no longer needed in our society, because, although originally a necessary part of society in order to stamp out racism, in today's society it has actually given an unfair advantage to minorities in college applications, tests, etc. White people are not given these advantages or curves in testing because white people are considered the majority, even though in Texas this is no longer true. I disagree with the current system of affirmative action, because it is now unfair that one person, even though they may be more qualified, might be turned down for a job because they're white. The system has actually backfired and has caused white people to be discriminated against in the workplace and it is harder for white people to get into colleges, to be hired for jobs, and even to get higher scores on standardized tests such as the SAT because they are considered the majority, and affirmative action was created in order to benefit the minorities and to make sure everything was fair, although now this proves to be untrue because it is not fair for white people anymore.
Affirmative action was first created in effort to help minorities leap the discriminative barriers that were ever so present when the bill first took action in 1965. However, since that time affirmative action has evolved into many different misunderstandings among not only the constituents it was designed to open the doors for but also the school systems, employers and others who ended up implementing a “quota system.” What it all boils down to is “reverse discrimination.” It is one thing to end discrimination, but it is quite another when employers, schools and others give preferences to people based on the color of their skin or “past discrimination.” When the Civil Rights act was passed, minorities especially African-Americans believed that they should receive retribution for the years of discrimination they endured. Now, they want to be equal, but when it comes to admission to college, and government contracts they want an advantage. There are plenty of groups that cater to that of minorities in America. For example at RHS there are several groups made especially for such racial minorities. There are groups for Jews, Asians, Muslims, Blacks, etc; but if there was a group for white people it is inevitable that it would be immediately deemed as racist, unjust, and unfair. Before when blacks were treated unfairly they were determined to have the equality that whites had, however now when they have the upper hand they keep their mouth shut that they don't have the equality of the situation, they even have it better off. In the court case Bakke vs University of California there was a young white male who applied to their school but was decline, even though there were "special applicants" who had lower scores but were still admitted anyways. He deemed this unfair and unconstitutional and brought the manner to the attentions of the supreme court. The ruling was later declared that no racial quotas were allowed, however race can be a factor taken into consideration when accepting applicatns
The cartoonist is trying to say that affirmative action has created a sort of reverse discrimination where minorities are almost given breaks that are not given to the majority (almost always whites). His point is very valid, colleges can use race as a factor in admission, and corporations of a certain size must hire so many minorities. I disagree with the current system of affirmative action, mostly because race does not need to be a factor in things like college admissions, but also in part because being a white male I am one of the ones that gets discriminated against (in many cases) with affirmative action.
In this cartoon the artist shows how minorities are given more opportunities and options in standardized tests. Depending on your race your can usually get a scholarship because university's want to become more diverse. The opportunities given to minorities is portrayed as unfair, because the Caucasian male had to take and SAT with very challenging questions that actually makes you think, while the minority did not have to. It shows that minorities are able to not do as well and don't have to be challenged as much as Caucasians just because of the fact their minorities.
The artist argues that just because of the color of your skin, you don't have to worry about what college you go to. because in today's world if a black student and a white student take the SAT and get the same score, most college would take the black student over the white student. this is to help their own image. Minorities are always welcome in college.
The point of the cartoon is that it shows how it tends to be that people of color who are less qualified get more of an advantage than whites who are intelligent. Obviously there are people of color who are intelligent as there are whites who are pretty dumb, but affirmative action tends to favor those of color to seem "fair." the author argues it is not fair that ethnicity is a deciding factor in what college you get in.
The cartoon makes a statement about the lack of fairness of affirmative action by showing a comical scenario in which a person's race not only removes any need of academic knowledge and accomplishment but replaces it. It makes this point by saying that instead of doing well on a test or even taking it one just has to be African American. In this way that affirmative action is implemented, I find it to be unfair because it takes the judging of students off of an academic system. Yet at the same time I believe that affirmative action is not an issue right now, or at least in the way the cartoon poses.
What I think this cartoon is saying is that in trying to help the minorities succeed a little bit affirmative action has taken it overboard.They think they're making it way too easy which is actually not true. Being a minority does not automatically qualify you for anything nor does it mean you dont have to work hard academically.It's sort of like a check plus to ba a minority and academically successful. You dont get points just being a minority in itself..we have to work hard too you know.
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