Essay On Civil Liberties And Civil Rights

AP Government

Essay: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

Unfortunately, discrimination is something that is deep-rooted in our country's history. We've had many struggles by different groups such as: women suffragists, and the civil rights movements in the 60's. Affirmative action, or preferential treatment to minorities, is a way to avenge the effects of past discrimination. Affirmative action was a vital step towards equality during historical struggles like after the abolition of slavery and during civil rights movement in the 60's. In today's society however all people are equal and affirmative action only upsets that balance. Affirmative action essentially discriminates and "punishes" people for their race, something they cannot control. The equality of races is the idea being advocated here however; affirmative action does just the opposite. It indirectly discriminates against people that are not minorities. People cannot choose their race. Therefore, how can one race be given preferential treatment when they have no control over how they are born? The actions of people in the
past are what determine affirmative action today. We cannot change the deeds of our forefathers. During the 60's there was distinct segregation and some had the feeling that minorities were inferior. Affirmative action was a good way to equalize opinions and treatment of minorities. However, today our culture, for the most part, is accepting of the fact that all people, regardless of race, are equal. Thus, affirmative action has gone from a tactic of creating equal opportunity, to a discrimination against people who don't have a history of oppression. The reason that America has adopted the principals of equality so well is because of the heavy emphasis of impartiality by our government.
The fourteenth amendment made blacks citizens and granted due process under the law. More recently, there was the Brown v Board of Education ruling for school integration. Both of these decisions, plus other civil rights rulings have promoted the mentality that society has changed and outlawed any kind of actions pertaining to inferiority or superiority amongst races. With all of these ideas being endorsed right before us, it seems contradictory to then give increased opportunity to minorities. Making minorities equal was a necessary principal to establish their rights as humans, however preferential treatment only reinforces the ideal that we are not equal. The separation is based only on race and opposes the ideas that are enforced
today. Going along with those ideas that the government has tried to instill in us, they were based off of events that concerned minorities in history. The people gaining advantage from affirmative action today were not directly affected by the struggles and oppression that other's endured. Thus, they were born into an equal society and given equal opportunity. Indeed it is proven that not all families have equal income. Some poorer communities may have a larger minority population. However, present day generations have grown up never being told they couldn't be a part of something due to race. It is unfair to give privileged treatment to those who didn't even suffer. By giving them treatment it hinders those who aren't affected by affirmative action. Generally, affirmative action is a process that is now outdated in our society. The people being affected are not those who suffered directly, and those who are being discriminated against are not those who were the oppressors. It may have been a necessary step toward equality during past civil rights struggles, however today's society offers equal opportunity for all and affirmative action only compromises that birthright.