[Sharath] I hope the US never goes down that path and maintain merit as the only standard for securing a job.
[Arlo] The problem with this is that it has not historically been that way. If "merit" alone was the only standard for securing employment, programs such as "affirmative action" would never have been implemented. Believe me, I dream of a day when "merit" is the only measure. This gets back to the statement made by WillBlake that minorities should "buck up, stop whining, and earn respect". How long does a society wait while some minority is denied opportunity generation after generation before it does something? Never? I had a friend once propose an abolition of affirmative action, but replace it with a "fair disclosure act" that would require all business to label their products outright as to their policies and handling of minorities. If Pepsi wanted to be not hire blacks, then all its soda should contain a label that reads "Pepsi refuses to hire blacks and other minorities". Let the consumers decide then if they wish to support such business. Are you a restauranteer who wishes he could deny serving blacks? Fine, then you are required to put a sign on your front door that says "This restaurant denies serving blacks". In any event, the reality is that before affirmative action, qualified blacks simply could not ever expect to get ahead, no matter how hard they worked, and there was no evidence that this "trend" was going to change. Does affirmative action reach too far? Likely. But I am all ears to hear what you think an alternative solution would be. [Sharath] I do believe US is one of the most moral correct countries wrt upholding human rights. [Arlo] And I agree, mostly, although our strength should come from knowing where and when we've erred. The "human rights" you speak of, btw, were born only recently and as the result of a major cultural battle. Don't forget that until as recently as fifty years ago, blacks were forced to drink from separate water fountains, had to ride in the back of public buses, were frequent targets of violence, and were really not considered "equal". We are really only one or two generations from that. [Sharath] ... sorry for the diversion..just couldn't help..something that I felt strongly about... [Arlo] It's hardly a diversion, and if you feel strongly about it then by all means you should speak. Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
