30 November, 1998

Dear Congressman Mr. Kipper,

Affirmative Action is everywhere today. Every corporation has minorities to hire and quotas to fill. Unfortunately, this process, far from eliminating racism as it is supposedly intended, is only spreading it farther. I would ask you to consider the following reasoning carefully. Affirmative Action as it stands must be toned down if it’s not done away with entirely.

Affirmative Action can and does keep the people who are most qualified out of jobs, scholarships, or promotions. If people are hired simply on the basis of their gender or ethnic background, it’s painfully clear that they’re not the best people for the job. Somebody may have years of experience, training, and knowledge, but if he’s a caucasian male and the other person going for the job is a Korean female, chances are she’s going to the get the job even if she’s not nearly as qualified.

Next, people who are in minorities are discouraged from working to their full potential. Disgustingly enough, college requirements and standards are lower for ethnic minorities or females than they are for caucasian males. Aside from its obvious drawback of suggesting that these people aren’t as competent as white males, it’s also telling them that they can get to where they want to go without having to work as hard as their caucasian counterparts. Sadly, this has become true.

Finally, Affirmative Action encourages-- even fosters-- a complete lack of self-worth. This can easily happen to anybody who is affected by Affirmative Action. A person who is caucasian may curse their misfortune of being white because they have to work harder to earn the same consideration others do. A person who is not caucasian may wonder if they only got a certain position because they’re a quota-filler-- not because they, personally, deserve to be there.

Affirmative Action, despite its name, is almost entirely producing negative results. If it is going to continue at all, it is in serious need of a massive reform. Affirmative Action keeps qualified people out of the jobs they deserve, prevents many from working to their full potential, and inspires a total loss of self-esteem. I hope that I have clearly presented my points and that you will truly consider what I’ve written. Thank you.