Essay on Affirmative Action

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1. Describe the history of Affirmative Action in America and does it result in unfair and immoral hiring practices? 2. When a government executes a citizen, the Death Penalty, is it acting as a sole moral agent or does it act on behalf of its citizenry and is its conduct moral? 3. If abortion is either moral or immoral, does that mean that the decision to abort is a purely subjective or objective? 4. Is the legalization of drugs moral or immoral and why did the states criminalize drug possession and drug use?

1.) Describe the history of Affirmative Action in America and does it result in unfair and immoral hiring practices?
“The term ‘Affirmative Action’ was first said by President Kennedy in 1961 as a method of redressing discrimination that had persisted in spite of civil rights laws and constitutional guarantees.” (Borgna Brunner). First enforced by President Johnson, Affirmative Action was something that began in the 1960’s and escalated quickly throughout the 70’s and 80’s. The definition of Affirmative Action is “policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, sex or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.”( Affirmative Action) This controversial subject is one that still affects our society even today.
When affirmative Action was first enforced in 1965, it was more in place to stop discrimination against the colored people and women. Throughout time though, it was become noticeably controversial in that it has switched, and that white males and females are beginning discriminated against. An example of that would be the famous Bakke case, which occurred in 1978. The basics of this case was that Allan Bakke, who was a “white male had been rejected two years in a row by a medical school that had accepted less qualified minority applicants-the school had a separate admissions policy for minorities and reserved 16 out of 100 places for minority students.”(1Borgna Brunner)
My thoughts on Affirmative Action are simple. This Country should have never let it get to the point where these regulations had to be put in play. I find what caused Affirmative Action immoral, not so much Affirmative Action within itself. Now, my belief is that whoever is the more qualified applicant should receive the job. I find it immoral to make decisions based on a human being’s race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. Unfortunately it occurs in both employment and school enrollment. Say for example I work hard throughout my entire High school career and receive the same grade as an African American female. In today’s society, the advantage would be in her favor. I find that a bit unfair, but I also believe that in our day and age, the chances of both students who work hard throughout their educational career getting into a good school are high. I look at the hiring practices to be a bit different. I find it immoral that the law interferes with a company trying to hire the most qualified person and having to reconsider who they hire based on the 5 elements of Affirmative Action.
2.) When a government executes a citizen, the Death Penalty, is it acting as a sole moral agent or does it act on behalf of its citizenry and is its conduct moral? The Death Penalty is a topic that carries with it an equal share of pros and cons. The pros, according to an online article focusing on New Hampshire, the Death Penalty aids in the reduction of homicides on a national level, the Capital Murder Statute also protects police and correctional officers. Some cons that get mentioned when talking about the death penalty is that it is morally wrong, the cost of the death penalty is very high being paid by tax payers, and one more is that it could lead to the possible execution of an innocent person. (Charles 2008) 33 states currently have the death penalty, leaving 17 states without it.
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