Re: The just and the unjust ways to address modern racial inequality: affirmative act
Slavery was only the beginning and the most horrendous. But that created the many long term systemic problems I listed... much more recently segregation, institutionalized racism, voter suppression & poverty. Had affirmative action not been implemented allowing many Blacks the opportunity for higher education hence raising the family status and income potentials up poverty in the Black community would be indisputably higher.
This isn't a welfare check we're speaking of... this is the opportunity to work at school and be a productive tax paying citizen.
I was more trying to help you to see the misguided depth & scope of your original premise of, "Well slavery and all the other abuses have been stopped, that's enough, they should not get any help like affirmative action to go to school". Broken down all that is saying is "tough luck on all that abuse & injustice"... and that my friend is simply not a reasonable scenario. And to be perfectly honest we all know that major racial discrimination in the wok place & housing and many other things did not stop at the Civil Rights act. They for years were just undercover and not as out in the open.
But I'll work with the grandfather premise you presented. It's more like your grandfather was found guilty of some major injustice where he was ordered to pay a huge judgment in payments to his victims. Your grandfather dies. His estate would still be liable for his debt.
Affirmative action was the legal avenue chosen by White's to help right a wrong. We could have chosen many different ways. But directing Blacks to higher education where they would in the end contribute even more to society seems very smart indeed to me... and I attended and played basketball with many at an expensive private college and also attended a huge state college. So I understand the dynamic well.
I'd have to respectfully disagree. We have done things that without any doubt have helped and affirmative action is indisputably one of them. What you're saying in a nice way is, "We waited the exact generation of slaves out... we dragged out racial equality rulings for as long as we possibly could... by that time it was too late to address the original wrongs." I highly dispute that. There is not a statute of limitations on a historical problem such as this. It's more akin to something like a war crime.
But like I said from the start I do believe we are quickly arriving at a place where enough has been done to say the wrongs have been adequately addressed. Electing our first Black President has went a long way to convincing me of this.
If all you say about yourself is true, and I have no reason to believe it is not, you will find that being a White man is not the terrible burden you seem to believe it is because of affirmative action.
You will be able to achieve and excel just fine, excellently, wonderfully in a great highly ranked & prestigious college. Just because you didn't get into your top pick isn't the end of your world, trust me.
I'd use it as a motivator and not dwell on it as being victimized. And I'm saying that in a constructive way. Try to look at it in real perspective and think how it must of felt to have the Governor of your state stand with armed police officers in full riot gear and barking German Shepard police dogs at the front door of your school and block you... maybe even you and your little sister, from even entering the building.
You'll be fine.