So, for my policy class we're examining the idea of equal opportunity.

I'm kinda curious where everyone stands on this idea.

Should equal opportunity be limited to laws that mandate race and sex not be considered?

Or is equal opportunity more abstract and that because of past dicriminations we must give more opportunities to minorities? (such as affirmative action, quotas)

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Ok, I am going to tell you my opinion on this. But first I want to make sure it's understood that I am only stating MY OWN opinion and I am in no way saying I am right.

I believe in a job market, that a person should be hired if they are able to perform the job based on the job requirements. I do NOT think people should be considered based on their skin colour or whatever.

If I had to hire for my office, I wouldn't even look at the race box. Depending on the job that I am hiring for, I would look first at the education, then the job experience. I wouldn't care about the age nor the race of the person. I am just more concerned with hiring someone that will GET THE JOB done.

Now I know that this is not always possible because of the minorities hiring rule, but it honestly how I feel about this particular subject.

I would not want someone to hire me just because I am white. I want someone to hire me because they feel I would do the best job.

In fact, I have always been against job applications that make you fill out the race field anyway. I don't feel that is important myself.

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This thread bears similarity to the one about quotas in the education system with added touch of sex.

Asian Quotas, are Asians themselves partly to blame?

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that post is only part of what I'm getting at Azn. I'm talking about things like school bussing to enforcorce proportional equality in public schools when people choose to live in homegenous neighborhoods. Or how women are awarded child custody unless they are proven to be unfit in most cases. Or what about about laws that exempt immigrants from paying business taxes. And proportional equality in the workplace.

The point is, laws that seek to uplift minorities generally do so at the detriment of others. Some argue that this needs to be done because of past injustices, that many minorities don't come from a level playing field so inequalities will perpetuate. However, as we've seen when examing proportional equality in terms of higher education, this serves to hurt other groups, such as Jewish, Asian and white.

The ERA was shot down because of this basically, and not by men, by women. They didn't want to lose the protections in the law they enjoyed, such as exemption from the draft, the propensity to be awarded alimony, etc.

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Everybody should be on a level playing field but the reality is that everybody wants to be a victim and at the same time get the leg up and those that have the power don't want to share their power.

I am so with you on that one.

Well said.

Just because some of us are white doesn't mean we have any less struggle. Sometimes we are on the bottom of the food chain and then get screwed over by these quotas.

Its hard cause we are stuck between a rock and a hard place with the same exact financial struggles as minorities but then we are refused extra help.

Yet minorities who claim injustice use these laws quotas and help to never improve their quality of life and sustain a never ending cycle of poverty.

Not directed at anybody in this thread. It's just a personal pet peeve of mine.

I've always found it asinine when two different groups of people compare how tough they have it and one saying they have it tougher than the other or they have it just as tough because of blah blah. Different people and different life experiences. It's comparing apples to oranges.

That being said, I find it condescending as hell when people tell you that you have it easier when compared to them or to so and so group of people, or just dismiss your issues outright. Like I give a shit, what your or their problems are compared to mine. I don't care how tough you have it or how much tougher you have it, when compared to me. Everybody has to have a fucking opinion on your life and life experiences nowadays.

I agree
But everyone thinks the grass is greener on the otherside. Its assinine not believe everyone has their own obsticles or cannot share the same due to ethnicity.

In this we must remember everyone is human! We are one Race of many faces.

We cannot do that if every minority plays the race card. Every country and social structure has have and have nots. Hmongs of Asia almost dissapearing, Koreans in Japan, Russian Agression via terriorty and province...are examples of discriminmation when people are from the mountains or the valley... etc etc

Some of it is the way the cookie crumbles and some of it is due to social stigmas that can be changed with understanding and equality. There for everyone has to be ready to belong.

When Immergrants first came to the US the next group was always the outsider. Families long ago were taught to bust their ass to belong and mesh some still couldnt do it.

The travesties of the past that many use as an excuse to still be labeled have not doesn't work. It keeps people looking for the easy out and never improving their or their childrens quality of life.

If these people keep claiming foul play and that their struggle is not over then no one will get anywhere.

Money Trees do no grow for anyone no matter what color you are. I will be damned if people say its comparing when its only asking for understanding and that maybe our grass will be greener if you work for it.