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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!alice!jj
From: jj@alice.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.women,net.politics
Subject: Re: Discrimination and Affirmative Action
Message-ID: <3819@alice.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 5-Jun-85 12:18:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: alice.3819
Posted: Wed Jun  5 12:18:56 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Jun-85 21:34:28 EDT
References: <476@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP>
Organization: New Jersey State Farm for the Terminally Bewildered
Lines: 66
Xref: watmath net.women:5528 net.politics:9264

Carnes-->  "I'd like some of you AA opponents to suggest alternatives"

JJ-->  I've been talking about education from EARLY CHILDHOOD everytime
the subject has EVER come up in net.politics, in fact, I've been
talking about it on nutnews from before the time that there WAS
a nut.politics.


I'll repeat it once more.


You CANNOT keep a person who's been educated and who has learned
to EXPECT, as a matter of courtesy, equal behavior down given the
current Civil Rights laws, discrimination of literate, well
educated people is just simply more effort than even most of
the worst bigots are willing to put out.   The malicious bigots
will allways exist, of course. <And can be firmly dealt with
given current (and some changes in the future, one would hope,
to include women and white males, in fact, ALL people) laws.>

I hardly claim that the world is perfect, but destroying people's
self respect via AA(and via discrimination, sexism, and 
other forms of sheer stupidity)  and expecting them to convey a good sense of
self to their offspring is a ridiculous position.

There are many psychological studies of the results of Hopelessness
and Helplessness, where the person learns that their situation and
environment are independant of their behavior.  Ghettos,
racial crime <from minorities toward the "authority"> and many other
things are clearly indicated as the results of hopelessness.
In order to emiminate these things, one must remove the CAUSE.

It is ESSENTIAL that people be shown that there is hope, and that
they can make changes in their life VIA THEIR OWN <constructive> ACTIONS!!!, 
and that this lesson be conveyed to the offspring.   Current
AA methods don't do this very well, although it is entirely likely
that they're better than nothing as far as as the subject is concerned.
The problem with current AA methods is that they further discrimination
in the job/marketplace because (among other things) they give the
bigots an EXCUSE to continue discriminating.  <They also create
dangerous situations for people, crime, assault, and a lot of
other bad things, but it's not clear that the amount created
is less than the amount prevented.>

The message?  TEACH, and hold people responsible for their
own actions.  If it is shown that race or sex is an issue
in a given situation, punish the person/persons directly responsible,
not the current employees.

Above all, DON'T GIVE THE PREVIOUS "PRIVLEDGED" CLASS A SENSE
OF HOPELESSNESS.    To do so only creates hate, and a new class
of unhappy people (who, given the power that they DO hold,
will ensure that nobody winds up happy.)

Remember.  If you kick someone who doesn't deserve it, they will
become your enemy.  If you work with that person to a solution
satisfactory to both, you have gained an ally.  (If you kick
a person who has deliberately hurt you, that's another story.)
Any system that PRESUMES guilt (as AA does, in practice)
is kicking those who don't deserve it along with those
who do.  Who needs more enemies?
-- 
TEDDY BEARS HAVE LIMITED PATIENCE! THEY DO EVENTUALLY GET HUNGRY!
"Let us remember my cat, Geoffrey, ..."

(ihnp4/allegra)!alice!jj