Affirmative Action Turns 51
03/05/2012
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From John Rosenberg at the Discriminations blog:

“Affirmative Action” Turns 51

Almost exactly a year ago Roger Clegg reminded us that “affirmative action” was turning 50, noting that “the first time the phrase “affirmative action” was used in the civil rights context, in Executive Order 10925, which President Kennedy signed on March 6, 1961.”

He also noted, of course, that then the phrase meant the opposite of what it quickly came to mean: “taking positive steps, proactive measures … to make sure racial discrimination did not occur, that individuals were treated “without regard” to race by government contractors.[More]

If affirmative action were a 51 year-old human, it would be old enough that it would be able to launch a suit of its own for  age-discrimination. In spite of this, it would probably be replaced by a younger, cheaper, policy imported from Bombay, as happens throughout the tech industry.

Roger Clegg says that it means that "It means that about seven out of 10 Americans have never lived a day of their lives when there wasn’t affirmative action. "

Right, and that means that seven out of 10 Americans now live under a government that officially discriminates against them. Not the seven out of 10 that are under 52, the seven out of 10 who are white.

 

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