Reverse Discrimination or Social Equalizer?
On the piece Reverse Discrimination as unjustified, Lisa Newton argues that ‘simple justice” is contradictory and goes against the basic form of justice that it is meant to correct. She argues that because of years of mistreatment of women and Blacks that a culture of affirmative action has emerged that aims to correct the injustices of the past with reverse discrimination. She argues further that no form on injustice should ever be justified.
I find Lisa Newton’s argues quite boring because even though she argues from an idealistic view-point, her views can be dismissed on multiple fronts. First of all, Blacks and Women have been mistreated and went through harsh circumstances, and it is the duty of our society to help them succeed. Blacks and Women when combined constitute the largest group in America and neglecting their success on the grounds that it conflicts with some idealistic notions on justice that are based on romantic principles is quite wrong.
Leaving Blacks and Women to strike on their own, we risk alienating not just the largest demographic group in our society but also this blunder will have a negative influence on the rest of our society in general.
She argues that, “logically, the conclusion is simple enough: all discrimination is wrong prima facie because it violates justice, and that goes for reverse discrimination.” However, what Lisa Newton terms as “reverse discrimination,” is in its truest form simply justice.
She lists many of the great injustices done against women and Blacks and then goes to assert that still those injustices done against those groups shouldn’t be grounds for what she terms as “injustices” against other groups by giving those groups preference and chance to play catch up in work force and education.
The idealism she preaches is not only self-defeating but also quite a curious administration of justice. In what way can assisting an oppressed group be termed as an injustice?
As a Black person and a minority, it worries me that people are even questioning the validity of affirmative action.
I agree that children who are raise in poor environments, with drugs and guns in schools and parents who can’t afford to provide better, should be able to get assistance. But what if it’s a white child in the same situation. Are they ‘rewarded’ by having the black community tell them that the world is on their side so they don’t need help, and then ‘rewarded’ by the white community by being told they don’t have the test scores/educational background/money to get where they want to go?
I’m all for helping people who NEED help…but affirmative action gives preference to an entire racial group. And some people are struggling, and some people are working at honest, well-paying jobs.
And please, help me understand what you mean by ‘reverse racism’. That term never makes sense to me. Racism, I believe, is showing preference to one racial group over another…so ideally reverse racism would be showing NO preference to one racial group. But that is rarely how I see the term used.
No offense is meant…I find this topic fascinating and enjoy hearing from all points of view. I think your post is a good one!
While I have supported rights issues, I find myself in one of those prickly positions in which I have been disorientated against and, in fact, told by several that I am not entitled to equal rights because I am a white male who has always been privileged.
I have thought that support should be given to people who have not had a chance, but, those very groups have beaten the stuffing out of me and destroyed my career when I tried to stand up and stop them.
I now live in a shelter. and, it is not as if I do not know poverty, or want – I have had plenty of it (not privilege at all). I went to school years ago, working in grocery stores and as a janitor in a factory to pay my way. In 1980, I returned to school to finish an undergrad degree under Voc Rehab.
The people who began this travesty are African American women who ran a state office in Missouri. From the start, I was denied equal pay (for my master’s degree). I was put down because I was male, had to petition the director to take down all of the anti-male posters through the offices, was sent out to investigate a sister agency that put dangerous clients into the community and was removed as coordinator of investigations when no “white-wash” was forthcoming, I was left in a situation with a sexually aggressive parent (when women in similar situations were immediately changed out), had to stand against my own agency to save the life of a client who had been severely beaten (a retarded man), and resigned siting several of their unethical, if not illegal actions. Oh, yes, there is more.
Anyway, after that, I was black-balled with behind the scenes comments and “information” passed on to potential or current employers. Yes, I was denied work (it’s called denial of livelihood in constitutional terms). Only when I reached Seattle, did the great social champions feel the freedom to openly bash me, often with open and obvious pleasure. As one put it, “I know what he’s like because I was married once”. Another, whom I thought of as a friend, I asked, “why did you do that”? The response? “Because I can.”
In Portland it really got ugly after I contacted Trimet (transportation authority) to report guards openly harassing homeless people whom Trimet officials were blaming for their loss of profits (for the record, very few homeless rode without tickets due to the aggressive targeting – and, those I witnessed, including myself, had tickets). I began to have buss drivers do cute stuff like drop me off a stop later than requested, or stop the bus two blocks before the usual break spot so I’d have to limp to the train in the rain.
The last interaction was from a young black driver who, in a deep snow, stopped about 6 feet from the curb and did not “kneel” the bus. I fell and injured my back it is damaged in two places and I have no way of getting help (no, I have not used it as an option to get rich).
I moved to Louisville KY, where the “information” as one man called it, has followed me and I have no belief that I will ever have work again. I have faced prejudice in being ignored in my application for a government sponsored senior program (Obama apparently did not mean it for me). In the state offices in which I left in good standing here, I was told that, while entitled to reinstatement under state regulations, they just got rid of one problem, the office was not running smoothly, and (this person) was not sure they would want to hire me.
Now. You tell me – how did I do wrong, other than stand up for clients and, eventually, for myself?
Reverse discrimination whether for a gay or straight man, is wrong. Even the gay community will have nothing to do with me (They were some of the worst bashers).
For more than a decade, these people have continued to destroy my life a piece at a time – most people think that because I have been, and again, am in a shelter, I did awful things – not true. But, that will never stop the weak of mind from believing it.