Affirmative action

            Throughout history, minority groups have been oppressed therefore lacking opportunity. Colleges have adopted affirmative action to accept minorities into the learning environment. It is used to remedy discrimination, not completely abolish it. It should be based on a reasonable preference for race, rather than set numbers of minorities that need to attend the school. It has proved to be successful in advancing other races, without stifling the white population. Affirmative action should be used in the college admissions process.
             Affirmative action can be voluntary or mandated by the government for funding or by courts in discrimination cases. There are methods by which minorities are accepted and include; quotas (they require a specific number of minorities to be accepted), goals (the number of minority applicants considered to be a fair proportion to other students), and preferences that are given to applicants. Selection should only be done by preference among qualified individuals. This means that if there are two students, a white and a black for example, with exact scores, extra curriculars etc, the minority may be chosen. Even if the differences between applications are minimal, it is acceptable to choose the minority. Federal Regulations on affirmative action prohibit a minority to be chosen when there is a staggering gap between the two.
             University of Michigan has been accused of violating the federal regulations and accepting completely unequal applicants. They base their selection on an indistinguishable imitation of the quota system that is highly debated. A maximum of 40 points can be awarded to disadvantaged. On the same scale, 20 points are awarded for a scholarship athlete and one point for state leadership and service (Bush outlines case against university admissions policy). This is clearly unfair. While minorities should most definitely carry an advantage, they should not be given that much.