Research Paper on:
In Favor of Affirmative Action

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
is a slight improvement. The question of whether or not affirmative action is a justifiable measure of compensation for past actions has plagued man since its inception. Shelton says that  affirmative action is necessary because discrimination is still very much a part of the country and its institutions (Shelton PG). The thinking behind affirmative action which has existed for about  a quarter of a century is best summed up by former Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmuns famous dictum that "in order to get beyond racism, we must first take race  into account" (Puddington 21). In general, the idea of affirmative action seems only fair. Black people in America--let alone women, Asians and Hispanics--do not have the same life chances as  do those who have white skin. Africa Americans have dealt with institutional racism and watched white boys easily go to the head of the class. They have watched lighter skinned  peers get ahead while they have been left behind. Similarly, girls have watched boys achieve in school while their ideas and interests were put on the back burner. While the  stereotypes are no longer completely true, the preference for white males seems to be entrenched in the society. Affirmative action then appears to be a way to right the wrong  that is a part of American life. Attorney Linda Wong explains that the whole debate over affirmative action comes down to the false notions of what is called reverse discrimination  (Rodriguez PG). It is true that many believe that a white person has to work harder to get into medical school for example, because the schools favor minorities. While to  an extent affirmative action does provide a formula for giving preference to those who are not white males, merit based affirmative action is really not discriminatory. An example of how