A Good Idea Gone Bad

Discrimination has been an issue that has plagued American society throughout history. Even after the Civil War it was legal to see job openings posted specifically stating that persons of a certain race, nationality, religion, or gender "need not apply". In 1961, President John F. Kennedy's Executive Order (E.O.) 10925 used the term Affirmative Action for the first time by instructing federal contractors to take "Affirmative Action to ensure that applicants are treated equally without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin" (The Regents of University of California, 2002). Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act states that it is unlawful for an employer "to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin;…" (The U.S.

President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the 1964 Civil R...

U.S. Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. (LO...

Lord Dahrendorf Deutsch: Ralf Dahrendorf 2003 Sven...

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 1964). In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued E.O. 11246, requiring all government contractors and subcontractors to take affirmative action to expand job opportunities for minorities (The Regents of University of California, 2002). In the late 60s and early 70s exceptional strides were made to even the playing field for minorities. Opportunities not available before were widely opened up. Today the workplace has become as diverse as society itself. Affirmative Action, while created to level the playing field for minorities, is now causing discrimination and harming those it was created to protect.

Affirmative Action has become the very thing it set out to destroy, discrimination. Through Affirmative Action minorities were given special pluses when being compared to other applicants who were not minorities. Affirmative Action Programs even included set-asides for minorities. Anytime race is used as a plus or a minus for employment, school entrance, or...