Affirmative action may hinder journey to equality

By Samantha Dennis

The Guardsman

We have all been brought up with the notion that we should treat everyone equally regardless of the race or ethnicity of the person. It has been embedded in our brains that everyone deserves the same opportunities to achieve one’s goals and aspirations.

This is why many have caused an uproar when the topic of affirmative action is discussed. If we are brought up to treat everyone equally, why would we give more of a chance for a minority to be accepted into a college than someone outside of a minority?

Recently, the Supreme Court backed a Michigan constitutional amendment that put a ban on affirmative action in Michigan’s public universities. The court’s decision has received mixed reviews.

Affirmative action was first put into place as a way to bring more diversity to college campuses, which I agree is a good thing.

But, the basis of my argument is that by allowing minorities a better chance at being accepted, we are being unfair to the students who have worked hard and are part of the majority.

It’s almost as if we really can’t win. We try to do something to help minorities, but at the same time we are not treating people of the majority equally.

Diversity on a college campus would seem to benefit the campus indefinitely, but this doesn’t allow for students to be treated unequally. Granted, a school would benefit from this, but it doesn’t mean that you can alter the admission process solely based on the applicant’s race or ethnicity.

By allowing affirmative action, race-based resentment will start to occur. People of the majority will begin to resent the minority and this will cause a larger problem than ever before.

Understanding that minorities have historically been oppressed, we can’t help the problem of equality by continuously trying to solve the problem with unequal acts.

In order for us to have a system that works equally, we ourselves have to think and act in a way that is equal to all. We have to push for more laws and regulations to push for equality. We have to stand up for our beliefs, even if our beliefs are a minority view.

A large problem with such topics is that some people feel as if their voice won’t make a difference and that in itself is a problem.

If everyone felt that their voice wouldn’t make a difference, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Imagine if everyone took a small amount of time out of their busy lives to do little things such as vote.

Voting is a right that all Americans are given, yet there are some that choose not to take advantage of that opportunity. There are those that use the excuse of not being informed of the topics addressed, but this is a horrible excuse.

With countless ways of informing yourself, there is no excuse why you are not aware of the topics discussed in each and every proposed local and state proposition.

Take the time to logout of Facebook and read a newspaper like you are doing now. Inform yourself about world events. Our generation is a vital factor for the years to come.