Affirmative Action: The Nation’s continuing battle for racial equality
Affirmative action is a policy of the State which has for its goal the elimination of historically rooted discrimination against men and women of colour. This is an active response of the State to the overwhelming concern of racial discrimination happening in the country and around the Globe. The existence of different nationality, race and ethnicity is a fact that has been long recognized. The looming problem in our society is determined by the equality of opportunities and the degree of acceptance. By acceptance it means the openness of firms, companies, and other institutions to hire men and women of colour.
One need not look too far beyond to see how self-interest has been the ruling factor that has caused all development and transformation in the world. The formation of human rights seem to be the perfect illustration to this as it has been primarily geared towards the conscious regard to the political rights of the people. Through time, the ancient civilizations sought for more responsive policies then for more progressive ones as these clamours push for the commencement of social and cultural rights as well as economic rights respectively.
This relative expansion in the coverage of human rights is not limited to narrow scope of the international sphere. This improvement transcends all the aspects of a political man. That is, in consideration of the triumvirate of goods or the different active determinants in the life of an individual “the political events, economic situation as well as the societal condition all lend a hand in the establishment of a singular prototype that would shape an individual. As a result, the manner and level by which an individual’s need would be catered to is the final cause of human advancement. This means that all growth and evolution depends on the intensity of human involvement to achieve what he wants.
As a corrective measure, Affirmative action’s primary purpose is to cure defects in the government and other sectors of society. These defects are mainly caused by social strife, injustices, violation and discrimination in areas that include business, education and the military. This has been seen by the state as a necessary meant to tip the scale in favor of those who have been disadvantaged over the years. Protection of every citizen is the primary goal and objective of its citizens.
This entails not only the protection from physical harm but also the assurance that the citizen is not disadvantaged in terms of work opportunities. Affirmative action is a means of the State to promote the welfare of the people. However, the real question is “can racial equality be achieved in business, education and the military without the use of policies that promote Affirmative Action?”
On the other hand, it would appear that the primary objective of every individual is of getting those that he needs which would ultimately result in the progress of the entire society. This situation typifies the idea of self-interest as the governing factor that qualifies international growth and transformation.
There is nothing inherently wrong with this; however, in this day and age, much of the development in the field of Politics should be and has been generally focused on policy-making and procedural re-awakening aimed in attempting to legislate policies that would make a more peaceful international community shared by men and women. Racial equality is an old issue but it remains to be of great national concern given the fact that existence of affirmative action is a way to remind us of the importance of recognizing and respecting individual rights of persons, regardless of race.
