Affirmative Action

This week SCH 101 has been discussing issues of academic justice.  In particular, I was in a group on Monday that was discussing Affirmative Action.  There seems to be some misunderstanding among the general population of first year students that issues of gender and race discrimination are from the past and are not occurring currently.  I beg to differ.

The median salaries of women are still significantly lower than those of women.  The median salaries of blacks and Hispanics are still significantly lower than those of white women.

The unemployment rate for blacks is more than twice that for whites and that number has not changed significantly in the last 50 years.  That is right, there has been NO PROGRESS in 50 years.  Why should we care?  Because the more people in good jobs, the more money people spend, the more money is paid in taxes, the lower the debt, the deficit, the better the economy, the more jobs are available, etc.  How could we make this economic miracle?

Want to increase employment?  Increase education, or join the armed forces.  Of course,  now that we are transitioning to peace-time armed forces it is becoming much more difficult to join up.

What does this have to do with affirmative action?  Whites and Asians are graduating from college at a higher percentage than they are in population.  Blacks and Hispanics are much less likely to graduate from college.

Is it possible?  Well, I am ready to predict that women are about to take over the job market that require a college degree?  Why?

The men are not going to college and they are not continuing on to masters degrees.