More of that exaggeration and overstatement I was referring too. :rollseyes:

You obviously perceive that AA has hurt you since someone else got the job you referred to, whether thats the case or not, there is no need to take it out on the many people who do indeed get ahead in life because of having one preferred status or another by such a blanket statement. </font>[/QUOTE]I have news from the author - white kids from working class neighbourhoods were being sent to die abroad too: and they didn't appreciate the fact that some *RICH*/well connected kids were avoiding the draft. There were many white-middle class kids who went on to die and get maimed in Vietnam too - and it's a little offensive to hijack the war as a 'black man's only' war.

Many white people died in WWII as well - and true enough the very rich/well connected managed to get their sons placed in 'safe' postings then as well.

What we are talking about here is about the power (financial and political) of the elite - not neccessarily of the 'white'.

So do non-white people not get to enjoy these 'benefits' then? Or again, are we talking about the rich/poor divide rather than race once more?

The problem with the new insidious racial discrimination is that it masquarades at redressing old wrongs - when instead it creates new ones.

There are BETTER and fairer ways of approaching the equality issue. Take universities in the UK for example. In the majority of cases, when you apply to a university, you do it via a central clearing house. The clearing house notes your entry qualifications/expected qualifications and allocates you a REFERENCE NUMBER.

This REFERENCE NUMBER is then passed on to the universtity along with your expected entry qualifications and the University makes you an offer, via the clearing house, on that basis. At no time does the university know your name,age, sex, race or the size of your parents bank account until it has already made you an offer of a place...

[ 09-27-2003, 09:24 AM: Message edited by: Skunk ]

I see where you are coming from Skunk. What I found most interesting from that article is the fact that preferential consideration is given for all sorts of classes of people, but people tend to only gripe when it is applied to create racial diversity and equality.

Also, I welcome alternatives to AA that will reinforce diversity as well as safeguard against bigoted hateful prejudice discrimination.

Finally, my main issue here is not to defend AA per se, I am still learning about it and since so far I think it is worth having rather than not I have taken the defend AA position.

My real issue is some critics of AA demonize it completely with exaggeration and go so far as deny anything good has or could come from it.

Lemme see if I got this straight: The university says that AA is bad when selling cookies, but good when admitting students?