Racism In Government Diversity Programs

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I thought this was a very interesting article. I don’t really know much about our economy or the technical workings of the government sponsored diversity programs Webb is talking about, but my gut reaction is to think that he is pretty off base. Webb writes that he is dedicated to bringing fairness to America’s economy and work force, but how can he do this if he is against the programs that are working towards that fairness? My basic understanding of his point of view is that he believes that today, government-directed diversity programs that favor people of color are unfair because they give an unnecessary and unfair advantage to certain groups, while ignoring whites who might need just as much help. I disagree; I think that these programs are necessary to balance out the unfair advantage whites automatically get just by being white. It is true that there are many whites in the United States who live in poverty, who are jobless, homeless, and need government assistance. However, I disagree with his statement that “Nondiscrimination laws should be applied equally among all citizens, including those who happen to be white”. This is just not realistic. In an ideal world, this might work, however, for the most part in the United States; whites automatically have a leg up in society. People of color need more assistance than whites because they are automatically a step down from white people. If I walked into a store and applied for a job, even if I was very poor and had no experience, there is a good chance I would be more likely to get it than a black or latina girl of the same situation. This is unfair but true, and speaks of an inequality that our country is still struggling with and that we need these government programs to help balance out. Also, I find issue with his statement that “Those who came to this country in recent decades from Asia, Latin

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