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01/30/2003 Entry: "knowledge"

Though I was serving as a mere observer but liked the fact that I'm so close to being included in an intense and thought-provoking discussion, this is the first time I will say that I love my english class. I'm taking a course based on 'Major African American Writers' and by only having 6 classes so far, every topic we touch upon relating to the novel we're reading now, The Color Purple, incites discussion by different members of the class and I like it. Lots. My professor is a young and intelligent black career woman and she knows exactly what to say as she serves as dicussion starter and moderator for what we talk about in class.

One discussion that wasn't related to the reading, what was said in class and what misconceptions were clearedd up my eyes and gave me knowledge of different perspectives regarding affirmitive action. You know, some of that current event kind of stuff. I know most college students are wrapped up in their own little worlds and hardly make themselves aware to what's going on in the world around them. I'll admit I stay in my room and do so much studying and sleeping that I hardly turn on the tv to know what's up. Back on affirmitive action, I sure didn't know as much about it as I thought. The media fed me images and news on what the politicians are arguing about to get something done but I didn't know what the purpose it really served, if it was anything good or beneficial to me. To make a long story short too late, my prof informed us of how it's supposed to work, beginning with the Civil Rights Act back in '75, and who it would benefit or hurt if it were taken away. blah blah blah.

Maybe it's just the beginning of the semester or maybe I'm getting enough sleep this time or maybe I'm a geek but I'm so geared up for going to classes and learning. It's unbelievable. I've gotten halfway through The Color Purple within the last few days and I've never read that much of a book even in my free time. Maybe I'm not stupid afterall.

In other news, PuppetMaster 2 is accepting applications for the next game. I'd love to get into the game just to play, aside from prize money, because everyone knows I watch The Mole everytime it's on.

Replies: 15 comments

Er, that should be, "Furthermore, your hiring practices are really *bad* for the company's PR."

Posted by A Reader @ 02/06/2003 06:24 PM EST

You didn't miss my point -- you understood exactly what I was trying to say. The only reason you may consider obeying my demands is if I happen to be a government official, and may have the *power* to make your life more difficult. There is no other reason for you to hire a man for the job, unless he is actually fit to perform it and you want to hire him.

Now, let's consider the situation when, indeed, a man applies for the job, and is the best candidate you've seen so far.

If you are a reasonable person, you probably will not refuse to hire a person based on something that does not affect their job performance. You may have certain prejudices against men, as every person does, but you are a professional. And if you're a greedy bastard, then you will definitely go for the best candidate.

Now, let's pretend you just happen to hate men, and will not hire one under any circumstances.

If you work at a large business (or worse, a corporation), you will not have that job for much longer. Your higher-ups and/or the stock holders will be pretty pissed when they find out that you passed up a good job candidate because he's male. Furthermore, your hiring practices are really for the company's PR. News of this incident would spread quickly (press loves stuff like this). Most people I know would not willingly give money to an entity whose actions they don't approve of. And since, unlike the government, a business cannot take peoples' money by force, it is in their best interest to have a good image. Discrimination does not help to keep a good image.

What if you run your own small company? Shouldn't you be able to run it as you wish? (You do, for now. As far as I know, most of the current laws do not cover small business. I am not a lawyer, however.) Shouldn't you be the one who decides which candidate is hired? Would anything be accomplished if a government official came around and forced you to hire a man? Do you think it would be good for him to work for a boss that hates him, or for his co-workers to see him as a token man that's just there to fill a quota? Would you be able to respect a person that you knew was only there because of his sex?

And isn't that what we're trying to work against? Making a hiring decision based on something that has no effect on the person's ability to do his job?

This doesn't have many sides to it. Everyone is hurt by affirmative action. Everyone except government officials who use and abuse their power to make or break a business, and people who abuse the unfair advantage affirmative action gives them.

Businesses are hurt by affirmative action. They lose money because they have to hire token "minority" people that may not be the best candidates for the job. They lose money having to fill out paperwork to prove to the government that they are not discriminating -- guilty until proven innocent. They lose money on lawsuits that they have to defend themselves against, and on settlements they often pay out because it's cheaper.

The economy is hurt by affirmative action. Whenever a business loses money, it is money that could be paid to its employees or reinvested in the business.

Individuals who are not part of the racial "minority" interest groups are hurt by affirmative actions. They are skipped over in favor of others with a "better" race.

And, ironically, hard-working individuals who ARE in the "minorities" are also hurt by affirmative action. To say that businesses have to hire a certain number of individuals of a certain race is to say that those individuals would not be able to, or deserve, the job without these quotas, and that's exactly the impression that many young individuals get when they first learn about affirmative action.

Posted by A Reader @ 02/06/2003 06:15 PM EST

Nice example.

See, that's where the problems begin. First you'd like to hire a person to join the business and gender (or any other physical attribute to consider of a hiree) probably wouldn't matter up until that point. Your abilities would determine whether or not you're able to work there. If I were also some greedy bastard i'd also like to know if your abilities were good enough to bring more money to the business.

I'm not certain how to react to you mentioning if you were a govt. official though. I'd probably be scared that if I don't hire you, you might have some power to get me thrown into jail or something, maybe I've gone and descriminated against those I didn't hire? I might be missing a point.

"A Visitor," I appreciate you taking the time to show me the different sides to the story. I think that since this has many levels to it I'm pretty unsure myself which way to go. There are positive sides, there are negative sides. I'm sure that as much as it would help some, it would also hurt some. I'm hoping you're not assuming I've taken a certain side on the issue and are confronting me for what I've said, though I don't even know your personal opinions on this is either so I can't tell. But if you mean well, keep the discussion going. =)

Anita- thank you bunches!

Posted by Erma @ 02/06/2003 08:39 AM EST

This layout is SO cool. Very nice sneakers ;)

Posted by Anita @ 02/06/2003 06:31 AM EST

Let's say you own a business.

Over the last year you've grown a little, and you now need to hire another person to help keep up with the growth.

Now, what would be your reaction if I came to your office, and told you that you *have to* hire a man, because you already have enough women working there?

You'd probably be pretty damn pissed, right? Who is this guy anyway, and what makes him think he can tell me how to run my business?

Now, let's say that I am a government official. Does this make the situation any different?

Posted by A Reader @ 02/06/2003 12:28 AM EST

Yes. When the civil rights act was created then reformed in '68, it was mainly to benefit white women and businesses. But that didn't mean that they took advantage of the benefits because they were allowed to do more things, heck some men just used the names of their wives or any female relatives to get some of the action. But no matter what you are or who you're connected to, it should matter first what your abilities are. Everyone's got the reponsibility to do what you can to get what you want and deserve. I'm not sure if there's more to everything and I'm not aware of it, so feel free to educate me more.

Posted by Erma @ 02/05/2003 03:18 PM EST

People in the civil rights movement protested and fought against discrimination of individuals based on race and other irrelevant things that have very little effect on the person's abilities when it comes to performing a job.

Affirmative action requires some individuals to be hired based on this same criteria, making their actual abilities secondary.

Don't you think there's something wrong with this picture?

Posted by A Reader @ 02/05/2003 01:07 PM EST

hi ruth! oh no, i'm doing psychology. i feel dumb though, i don't really know what kind of stuff is involved in the communications major... =\

Posted by Erma @ 02/04/2003 04:29 PM EST

haha...guess what? i surfed into your page earlier before you did by the MT webring too. thanks for coming by!

I'm a communications senior in S'pore...are u doing something to the likes of that?

Posted by ruth @ 02/04/2003 12:29 AM EST

Got any more suggestions?! hehe i think i may put together a list of books to read.

Posted by Erma @ 02/01/2003 09:45 PM EST

good for you! awareness is a wonderful thing. the color purple is a great book; i'm taking a course on african-american lit myself. like everyone else, i recommend toni morrison's "the bluest eye." and also gloria naylor's "bailey's cafe." excellent stuff.

Posted by kim @ 02/01/2003 02:51 PM EST

The Bluest Eye is one of my all time favorite books. We also read the Invisible Man and Native Son.

Posted by noor @ 02/01/2003 02:17 PM EST

Vernon- thanks. i appreciate that.

noor- Along with pieces picked out of the Anthology book, we're reading The Color Purple, The Bluest Eye, Black Boy, and The Color of Water. I'm looking forward to reading all these.

Posted by Erma @ 01/31/2003 05:58 PM EST

I took an African American Fiction class in college myself. The only reason I initially took the class was because it counted towards 3 requirements. However, it was probably one of the best courses I've ever taken. We read the Color Purple along with The Bluest Eye and tons of other stuff that I just can't remember at the moment. What other books are you reading this semester?

Posted by noor @ 01/31/2003 09:33 AM EST

I liked this post Erma. You're becoming more aware as a citizen, as a person.

Posted by Vernon @ 01/31/2003 09:28 AM EST