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Let's consider MIT, celebrated as one of the best colleges in the country.

Know that, according to the 2000 census, White people make up 75% of the country's population.

Now, according to a recent MIT Common Data Set - http://web.mit.edu/ir/cds/2002/b.html - White people only make up 34% of the MIT undergraduate student body. Even if we assume that EVERY foreign student and EVERY student who did not give his race is white, White people still only make up 52% of the MIT student body.

It is obvious that White people are underrepresented at MIT. In fact, they are underrepresented to a greater degree than Black people. Absolutely, in order to match the percent of Black people in the country, MIT would have to replace 250 non-Blacks with Blacks, but to match the percentage of Whites, MIT would have to replace *1710* non-Whites with Whites. Relatively, Whites are still more underrepresented than Blacks by 5% (34/75 = 45%, 6/12 = 50%).

It is obvious that MIT, and other universities which have this same White underrepresentation (Berkeley for example), need to implement Affirmative Action bonuses for Whites in order to maintain equality and fairness!

Tim

By Triangle (Triangle) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 07:55 am: Edit

Dear Tim,

I believe,

race is not, and should not , and must not be an consideration in admissions processes.

affirmative action of all kind is unfair.

Human race should have equal chance

One should not be judged by the color of his/her skin, but by the content of his/her character

No one member of human society should take unfair advantage over another member of human society based on race, color, or gender.


By an Asian

By Mike (Mike) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 12:31 pm: Edit

Life is not fair.

African Americans have been treated in a terrible manner in this country

Character is not necssary for intellegence.

Legacy/Athletic skills are not a part of educational qualification.

Picking who gets in is not an exact science and there is no full proof test or standard.

The country and the world is diverse and colleges need to be diverse.

Everyone can find a college to get into unless they can't afford it. So life is not fair because money is a VERY important factor in getting into school.


pink skin ancestory German, Dutch, English, Swiss

By L_Wonder (L_Wonder) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 04:28 pm: Edit

Tim-Stop trying to use data to back up your ignorance. You only sound like a well educated racist. Accept the fact that you and every other white person in this country has benefitted, and will continue to benefit, from years of minority oppression and move on with your life.

By Tim (Tim) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 06:35 pm: Edit

So when white people are underrepresented that is fine but when black people are underrepresented it is bad?

Tim

By Dxiw (Dxiw) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 06:43 pm: Edit

I beleive that 'AA' is totally wrong in the way it is being implemented, I think that AA points should be assigned much differently. It should not be race dependent, that is just wrong. You are born a race and cant do anything about it. I think that you should get bonus points regardless of race if you have had to deal with adversity yet you still showed the drive to be successfull. But the way it is now, where AA is based on race, its TOTALLY WRONG and should be eliminated. If any bonus points should be given they should be given so that they reflect an applicants' struggle. For example, a white guy who has been very poor all his life and couldnt afford books and barely had food on the table, yet worked hard to do well in school, should get bonus points and admission even if his sat is a bit low 1350-1400. Only because he worked so hard, on the other hand a black guy coming from a decent family, been driven his whole life by his parents, and having enough money to not worry about food being on the table should not get ANY points at all. AA by race is simply assuming that all whites are affluent and all blacks are ghetto poor and underpriveledged. If I was black I would be very insulted by AA. Also, when any bonu points are given they should be within reason, for example maybe 5-8 points, but not crazy •••• like michigans 20points where sat is only 12....All humans should have to acheive on the same level for admissions, but if an applicant has worked very hard and had to deal with family problems and such, then they should get a few points...but never should points be given out for being a certain race. That is just wrong..

By Triangle (Triangle) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 06:43 pm: Edit

no look at what I said above

By Tybalt (Tybalt) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 06:47 pm: Edit

When black people are underrepresented, it is because their ancestors were out picking cotton and not allowed to learn to read or write while whites sat on their porch drinking mint jullips reading the best books money could by; it is because even after blacks were emancipated, they were let out into society as uneducated, disenfranchised citizens of this country with no voice and no vote; it is because Jim Crow laws were in effect less than 50 years ago and white collar jobs were resevered for white colored people; it is because whites were able to build wealth off the backs of black people, while black people are just now beginning to build wealth. Whites in this country are the majority and they are represented by default.

By L76 (L76) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 07:55 pm: Edit

I completely agree with Dxiw.

By Frank (Frank) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 08:08 pm: Edit

-What percent of white people go to college?
-What percent of black people go to college?

I don't know the statistics, but think of it that way. AA does make sense.

By Phishin219 (Phishin219) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 11:00 pm: Edit

black people need to stop bitching about how there ancestors were treated. •••• my ancestors were peasants from germany that got there ass kicked by a lord. I dont bitch about how my white germany ancestors got •••••• due to serfdom. Count on yourself to get yourself things, not the way southerns treated blacks 150 or even 50 years ago.

By Mike (Mike) on Thursday, April 03, 2003 - 01:08 am: Edit

My ancestors came from Germany too and they came here becasue of better treatment. They got a better life. Much better then Africans did when they got here and for the next 100+ years. There are plenty of white males in college. Stop complaining. Go to college. If you are superior then you will excell any where. After all Bill Gates was a Harvard dropout.

By Tybalt (Tybalt) on Thursday, April 03, 2003 - 10:36 am: Edit

Most non-Africans came to this country to escape opression and build a better life. Africans were originally brought here by force and locked into opression against their will. Then they were freed and continued to be opressed in what is considered by most to be the land of opportunity. It's not like blacks could say, "well I'm going leave America now to go the the land of opportunity to improve my life." They were in the land of opportunity and opportunities were being denied them due to the color of their skin. Now they continue to try to push forward through a world that once regarded them, and at times, still regards them as the lowest class on earth.

Financially, non-Africans were in a position to build wealth in this country for centuries, while those of African descent were denied access to good education, good jobs and wealth. Not for lack of trying, but due to racism. Only 50 years ago were blacks given the right to go to decent schools, sit where they want to sit on a bus, drink out of any water fountain - read your history book, it's all in there and that's only half the story. The effects of that still linger today. Affirmative action seeks to level the playing field for those that were put at a disadvantage in this country due to their race.

There are many minorities in general that look really good on paper and are very capable academically. Then, they go to the college and sit down for an interview and the color of their skin somehow puts them at a disadvantage. AA strives to correct such an injustice. I would encourage affirmative action for non-blacks with a desire to attend historically black colleges for the same reason.

By Emeraldkity4 (Emeraldkity4) on Thursday, April 03, 2003 - 01:43 pm: Edit

Bill Gates is often cited as someone who has succeeded without a college education.
Not much emphasis is put on that he is of the elite academic class, and that his private high school prep education probably rivaled the rigor and resources of state universities.

I don't feel race is the issue, I feel class is the issue.
Lots of educated minorities isn't Stanford half ( or mostly)Asian?
But for students who come from less challenging high schools combined with fewer resources than others, need a leg up to prove they can compete

it is because Jim Crow laws were in effect less than 50 years ago and white collar jobs were resevered for white colored people; it is because whites were able to build wealth off the backs of black people, while black people are just now beginning to build wealth. Whites in this country are the majority and they are represented by default.


With Jim Crow laws it benefitted african americans to mistrust the "man" and to do as little as they could get away with. However, if they are to change their posistion in society, new ways of thinking need to take place.
African American women are much more successful in the workplace and academically than AA men.
I suspect they are more likely to see the opportunities that are available and capitalize on them, while AA men, see the closed doors

By Fallingmajority (Fallingmajority) on Thursday, February 19, 2004 - 11:04 pm: Edit

Hey guys. Everybody in todays world is afraid of confronting racism (whites in general). I beleive that the affirmative action is a very racist way of giving a race such as hispanic or black an advantage over whites in getting into college. If blacks and hispanics think about it.....this really isults your itelligence, pretty much saying you cant beat the whites without the handicap of racism. pretty sad.
-Peyton