Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site kontron.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!pesnta!pertec!kontron!cramer From: cramer@kontron.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Discrimination and Affirmative Action Message-ID: <199@kontron.UUCP> Date: Mon, 3-Jun-85 21:21:35 EDT Article-I.D.: kontron.199 Posted: Mon Jun 3 21:21:35 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 6-Jun-85 01:15:45 EDT References: <354@iham1.UUCP> <250@spar.UUCP> <266@unc.UUCP> <898@sdcsvax.UUCP> Organization: Kontron Electronics, Irvine, CA Lines: 72 > > I just thought I'd throw this in to try to stir up some thoughts: > > Most of us, I am sure, disapprove of racism and want to find a fair > solution for all parties involved. In the following situation, however, > what is fair? > > Consider the following two high school seniors who are applying to Big > Prestigious University. You are the admissions officer and must decide > which one to admit. There is only one place left in the freshman > class, so one must be rejected. (If you don't like this scenario, you > can find similar ones for job applicants, grad school, scholarships, > anything competitive, etc.) > > Applicant 1: Valedictorian of Expensive Prestigious Prep School, > (Thanks to a combination of hard work, intelligence, and his private > tutor.) Senior Class President (Leadership, gave lots of good parties), > Very good SAT scores (with a little help from an SAT prep class), > Varsity Tennis Team (He's been playing since he was 5.), Has already > done well in a number of college classes (enrolled during summers > at Major East Coast University Summer Session), Accomplished pianist > (Taking lessons since he was 7), speaks fluent French and German > (His family travels a lot), has won several awards in science fairs > (with projects he did on the extensive IBM PC system his parents bought > for him), active in community service, etc. > > Applicant 2: Good grades (but not outstanding) at Depressed > Inner-City High School, above average SAT scores (her classes didn't > prepare her very well), she had no time for extra-curricular activities > because she had to work 30 hours a week to help support her mother (who > is unemployed), she had no place to study at home or at school, so she > had to take the bus across town to the main city library to study or > to get books to read. > > We may argue to admit: > Applicant 1: Clearly, he is far better qualified. At Big > Prestigious University, you demand academic excellence from > your students. To choose Applicant 2 over him is blatantly > unfair. It is not his fault that his parents are wealthy. > Why should he, the better qualified, be punished for what > happened in the past, for something which he had no part in? > > Applicant 2: Although Applicant 1 may be better educated, > Applicant 2 clearly has much more potential. If she has > done so well under the strain of her life, she will probably > thrive in the intellectually supportive environment of Big > Prestigious University. To choose Applicant 1 over her is > blatantly unfair. Why should she be penalized for her parent's > poverty? She has fought so hard and come so far in overcoming > the obstacles that fate had imposed on her. Doesn't she > deserve a chance? > > Which would you choose? > > While you may be able to make a quick and easy decision, I can't. > It seems that any decision is only a value judgement: do you emphasize > where a person is or how far he has come? I have been unable to find a > clear cut reason why it is universally more fair to choose one or the > other. If any of you can find such a reason, please enlighten me. > > --Alan J. Hu > sdcsvax!hu I completely agree with the above scenario --- it just doesn't have anything to do with affirmative action. In affirmative action, the person who is disadvantaged may well be a white male, and the advantaged one could even be from a wealthy home, and the advantaged one will get in if he or she is the right race. Don't say it can't happen --- when I couldn't get enough of a scholarship to attend UCLA (from a family below the poverty line), a member of my graduating class from a wealthy family got a full scholarship to Vassar --- because she was an East Indian. And I had better grades, and better SAT scores.