A Better Affirmative Action System

Affirmative action is a program that could potentially overcorrect the system of admission into schools the attempt to end racial prejudices.  But this is not to say that those who created these admission techniques or those that support them by any means have bad intentions.  They in fact have very good intentions and are closer to a solution to the unjust inequalities in our country than those who would like to completely abolish affirmative action.

But is affirmative action really the right way to go about correcting the system?  By implementing affirmative action, the board of admissions and the applicant himself are taking into account an attribute that is not correlated to the person's merit, abilities, or personality.  In my opinion, it is not a correct assumption to say that just because someone is of another color that he or she magically brings to the table all of these cultural differences.  I believe that a person is a product of their environment and rearing, not the color of their skin.  I think one of the reasons we see differences in people of different racial backgrounds is because we expect to see differences.  And as long as society continues to regard individuals as mentally different because they are physically different, there will be no progress made in culturally integrating our society.

Affirmative action is meant to right the wrong done to minorities in the past.  While I do think we have a duty as a society to take responsibility for our communities past wrong doings, I also believe that our actions in correcting today's societal issues should come first.  Today we do not need any further distinctions between race.  We need to help all who are least advantaged.  This system would instead take into account the economic situation of applicants rather than the color of their skin.  Because, as philosopher Walzer argues, the main problem with our society is the hold the sphere of money and commodities has over the other spheres of justice.

Though race does still have an impact on the attitudes of our society, it is money that is the bigger factor in determining one's ability to lead a successful life in this capitalistic society.  Because race and poverty are correlated in our nation today, affirmative action does have its benefits.  But this system does not lead to a solution, but a path to overcorrection and the eventual need for developing a new system that makes the playing field equal.  The only way to having a just affirmative action system in admissions is to give the upper hand to those in worse economic situations.