How did affirmative-action policies come to be? Who benefits most from them, and who suffers? How do these programs work in hiring, contracting, college admissions, and other fields? What will recent Supreme Court rulings and legislative initiatives mean? And, does any race-conscious remedy simply cause discrimination. Affirmative action is more than a black-and-white issue, it is women, Latinos, and Asian-Americans who are also affected but often ignored. I read a book many years ago to understand better the statements above. I am a white 58 year old male from the Saratoga area. I was born here, left, went in the service, lived other places and like seems more usual than unusual, you end up back in your home town. I only bring this point to be because it is where your points and discussions are formed. I have been the benefactor of the education and jobs most would be grateful for. I have lived in Boston where discrimination was rampant. I have lived in New York where every culture exists. I say this to say if we did not have some type of policy the playing field would be less fair than it is today. I do not know the answer because as with most important matters I think both sides are right. As a hiring Sales Manager in Software I have been told many times behind a closed door that I needed to hire a woman, an African American or a Hispanic. I never through a fit or argued because it was my job to make it work.
I have come to the conclusion that it is just plain difficult to get it right. My own personal opinion comes from if a white man doesn’t get a job because an African American was needed to be hired to be fair it seems unfair to the white man. However, with age comes some wisdom. I have come to learn that if that African American, Hispanic, Asian or Euro Asian never had the same opportunities growing up with high school,
