Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 beta 3/9/83; site sdcrdcf.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!lmeck From: lmeck@sdcrdcf.UUCP Newsgroups: net.flame,net.politics Subject: Re: racism and hi-tech Message-ID: <317@sdcrdcf.UUCP> Date: Fri, 10-Jun-83 14:57:38 EDT Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.317 Posted: Fri Jun 10 14:57:38 1983 Date-Received: Sun, 12-Jun-83 17:45:40 EDT Reply-To: lmeck@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Loren Meck) Organization: System Development Corporation--a Burroughs Company Lines: 48 I don't believe that the current affirmative action programs are the only solutions (or even acceptable solutions) to the problem of racial discrimination. I believe that a better solution is to enforce the existing laws prohibiting discrimination and to attack the problems created by past discrimination directly. These problems include cultural isolation and deprivation as well as economic deprivation. Some more direct solutions to these problems include: 1. Require schools and employers to accept applicants more on the basis of demonstrated aptitude than on education and experience. In addition, give employers economic incentives (tax deductions) for educating and training undereducated/undertrained applicants: this encourages employers to locate and hire such applicants instead of hiring applicants recommended from within (what mhb5b!smb calls the "old boy network"). 2. Expand economic assistance programs for public education and training of persons who demonstrate aptitude in a field, but who are undereducated/undertrained. I don't necessarily agree that all of what mhb5b!smb calls "statistical discrimination patterns" are really discrimination or that they need to be remedied. It is possible that some form of affirmative action is needed to insure promotion of deserving women and minorities. However, if more men than women want to be police officers and more women want to be dress designers, what compelling reason is there to try to change such "societal patterns"? I don't believe that we have to force the composition of every workplace to reflect the composition of society in order to solve the problem of discrimination. Because affirmative action programs provide little incentive for giving full education and training to minorities, minority unemployment continues to be high; this allows minorities to allege that racism is rampant and allows bigots to allege that minorities are lazy and stupid. I believe that the best solution to problems of discrimination is to give various elements of society a positive incentive to help *all* people those whose abilities are going to waste because of a lack of education and/or training. I am afraid, however, that too many policymakers on both sides of the issue have become more interested in symbolic action than in effective action against discrimination and that too many people have been persuaded that the symbolic value of affirmative action programs is worthwhile (mhb5b!smb states enthusiastically that these programs "encourage awareness of the problem of discrimination"). This "rub-their- nose-in-it" attitude is one of the most counterproductive aspects of affirmative action: people like myself who have no real desire to discriminate against anyone become antagonistic when continually pestered by crusaders trying to "raise our consciousness" and make us feel guilty for something we haven't done.