Hey this is Emily. This is what I have written out for what I am going to say.

(the black is my harm and the blue is my barrier)

As Megan mentioned before me, affirmative action does great harm to those of us that work hard and truly do achieve and deserve a spot at universities, but what I want to point out is that it does harm to the minorities, the very people that it seeks to help, by discrediting their achievements, giving them a fraudulent and stigma-ed reputation among others, and damaging their self esteem as students and achievers. In all the irony of affirmative action, we are harming everyone involved. As we have said before, affirmative action policies were started out of the civil rights movement of the 1950s as a temporary attempt to give back some of the many opportunities that had been unrightfully taken away from African Americans and other minorities. It is, in a sense a form of pity. Black journalist and media consultant, Deroy Murdoch explains it by saying that, “The underlying philosophy behind affirmative action is the notion that blacks and Hispanics aren’t smart and aren’t prepared. We must help these little brown people, and the blacks. That’s where affirmative action programs come from.” And if this is how we all see affirmative action, then this is how we see the people who supposedly benefit from affirmative action, as insignificant, unintelligent, incapable, “poor minority people”. Is that right? Is that how this program is supposed to be affecting blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans? I don’t think so. And it is a fact that many people see affirmative action this way, including those minorties that the programs focus on.

Through the eyes of University of California Regent, and African American, Ward Connerly, growing up was a constant humiliation of segregation and unfair treatment. He is standing in line at the drinking fountain, standing beneath the enormous and ominous sign stating “Coloreds Only”. And this is what he is forced to face every day of his life, just because of the color of his skin. Connerly, now compares his position being labeled and “affirmative action businessman” claiming that it is almost has bad because it keeps him from being judged on the quality of his work.

Just try to imagine how having this constant stigma floating over your head would make you feel about your own abilities. Affirmative action is demeaning and only serves to perpetuate the stereotype that minorities are less able than other students to succeed. They are tired of being presumed as defective and having to wear that badge that says “I am here because you all feel bad for me and don’t think I could get here on my own.” Personally, I see affirmative action as racism in and of itself.

So the question is, how could we possibly rationalize keeping affirmative action policies in place? Well, unfortunately, the original goals to promote equal opportunity are not the actual goals of affirmative action any longer. Today, it is just another way for a college to look good. Have you ever noticed that on every, and I mean every college brochure, one of the first qualities listed about the school is its “diversity”? This is the sole reason colleges use affirmative action now, to be able to say, we are diverse and welcome all! It is all just a front used to make schools look good and a way to keep from being accused of being racist, when in fact racism is exactly what is going on here. Over the decades and decades of using affirmative action, little has even been accomplished in the area of diversifying our universities and colleges. (need statistic here) So why keep pushing what’s not working. Isn’t it the definition of insanity to keep trying the same thing over and over and expect different results?