Affirmative action is a program of opportunity; it is not a program of discrimination. It is not an attempt to make up for slavery; it is an attempt to correct today's discrimination against minorities and women in our society. Selection of unqualified or overqualified candidates is not permitted under federal affirmative action guidelines and should not be equated with legal forms of affirmative action. Our country needs to have affirmative action to make sure that minorities are being given the same rights as every other American citizen.
The goal of affirmative action is for the minorities and females to have a fair chance if qualifications are comparable. Strategies for affirmative action include expanding the pool of job or admission applicants through recruitment strategies, which reach outside of traditional channels such as the posting of job notices in places where women and minorities are likely to see them. In employment, affirmative action programs also have sought to increase on the job training opportunities that are related to occupational mobility within the workplace. In some cases, affirmative action programs have been instituted by law or court decree. In other cases, employers have been established affirmative action programs voluntarily to increase the pool of qualified applicants and to diversify their workplaces.
It is important that colleges use affirmative action, to diversify their campus, and also allow minority students and equal opportunity to receive an education. With affirmative action, we can make sure that everyone who is qualified is given an opportunity to succeed in life. Affirmative action should start with colleges however, that way minorities can receive a good education, and once they complete their education, they can head out into the workforce with the same qualities as everyone else. Affirmative action is not meant to discriminate against the working force, or allow a company to choose a minority over a white male, based on the fact that he or she is a minority.