Should American preferential entitlement programs based on race or gender be eliminated?

Question

Should American preferential entitlement programs based on race or gender be eliminated?

Answer 1

Yes, both should be eliminated.  I believe entitlement should be granted based upon socioeconomic status, regardless or race or gender.

There was a time when I believe race and gender entitlements should have been granted, and by no means do I believe that things are completely equal between races and genders.  However, I do believe that financial status a powerful underlying factor linked to the disparity between the races and genders.

Generally, women are paid less than men.  Similarly, many people of color may belong to the lower classes financially, possibly as a result of past discrimination.  However, white people sometimes belong to the lower classes as well.  Once a family is deprived economically, it becomes extremely difficult, for example, for a child to get out of the impoverishment and go to college.  By granting preferential treatment programs based on financial status, people of all genders and races would have a chance to make positive changes in their lives,

Answer 2

They need to be revised but definitely not eliminated. Most of the answers opposing them are based on bias and opinions without any educated thought or research. In actuality, many of the people who benefit from affirmative action do not actually need it because they would most likely be successful anyway, hence the need for revision.

Answer 3

I think so.  So many of those people collect their government money and then go blow it on drugs.  I've seen it with my own eyes.  

Answer 4

No because there are still problems. You want to erode the progress we've made. I agree changes are needed but we still have work to do.

Answer 5

I think most entitlement programs now are based on wealth and maybe age, not race & gender.

Answer 6

Yes.

As a woman, I don't ever want to feel that I succeeded in any way solely based on the fact that I am female. I don't want to receive anything to meet a quota or show diversity.

I think the best candidate for anything - school, job, etc - should be chosen. And entitlement programs won't help that, because people can always find a loophole if they don't want a black, female, etc in the role. And in alot of cases, the wrong people are being chosen just because they are needed to show diversity, which is a shame.

Answer 7

As a Black, Woman of course I am going to say NO!... but they do need a LOT of work.

Affirmative Action is a very difficult issue. If we had simply based everything on merit is the first place, then this shady dealing wouldn't be necessary.

Answer 8

No, we must continue to breakout and classify each individual into groups.  Then assign merit according to the predetermined groups.

Answer 9

Absolutely.

We are the only nation that has such programs, yet at the same time, ALL nations have had issues with slavery and persecution of minorities in their histories.  Many still practice both.

It's no wonder minorities want to come here.

Answer 10

Yes !  but as long as bleeding heart , liberal democrats can get votes from those who choose to consider themselves downtrodden victims , it probably ain't gonna happen.

Answer 11

Yes! Yes! A gazillion times Yes!!!!!!

Answer 12

Yes. Assuming that women and minorities require these programs to get on equal footing with white men is sexist/racist in itself. Employers and others should have the common sense to look at merit and nothing else.

Answer 13

YES!

Answer 14

Yes, fair is fair and equal is equal. Affirmative action or preference for assistance is neither. You need the help or you don't being white or male doesn't make your dollar stretch further. You can do the job or you cant, but jobs based on gender or race with the exception of certain male careers (i.e. infantry men, SEALS, ETC)  is just another form of discrimination.

Answer 15

Yes, for one very good reason -- they perpetuate the idea that "We the People" are not all equal.  Any program that gives special treatment to someone simply on the basis of their race or gender puts that group into a special class.  As a result, any white person who says anything even slightly negative about a person of any other race is automatically labeled a racist, but if anyone from a minority group spews speech that is clearly white hatred it is somehow "justified."  In similar fashion, it's now socially unacceptable for men to say anything negative about women, but male-bashing advertising has gone on unchecked for the past 20 years and radical feminists are allowed to spew their male hatred speech with no reprisal.

BOTTOM LINE:  If we really want to break down racial and gender barriers, we have to work together.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached cooperation and understanding, and he was right.  Anyone who says it's OK to hate or distrust someone simply because of their race or gender is not part of the solution; they're part of the problem.  Preferential entitlement programs do not encourage togetherness -- they just deepen the lines of division.

Answer 16

Yes.  

Answer 17

NO! As a white male, I enjoy not being given handouts so I can have an *even bigger* sense of superiority over females and non-whites, because I know they only got where they are by accepting charity.

Thank you, Big Government!

Any group accepting special privileges from the government WILL NEVER be equal! muahahahahahahahaha!