The United States of America has a racist history that’s so dark only a few other countries in the world come anywhere close. The actions of past generations have left a truly indelible scar on American society. So, it’s only natural that, where possible, restitution can and MUST be made.

When President John F. Kennedy planted the first seeds of what would later become the foundations for affirmative action in 1961, there was no doubt that his heart was in the right place. President Lyndon Johnson took that baton and did even better things with it in 1965. The “father of affirmative action” Arthur Fletcher, President Richard Nixon’s assistant labor secretary fleshed out this ideology even more and was ultimately instrumental in making this line of reasoning a widely-accepted idea.

The motivation that drove all of these men in this direction was simple; they wanted to end racial discrimination. That is undoubtedly a noble cause.

But whether we got it wrong somewhere along the way or maybe the very idea of affirmative action was off from the very beginning, it’s obvious that we aren’t where we’re supposed to be today. One thing is clear as day at this point; affirmative action is not the solution we need to solve racism in this country.

And the reason for this is simple; you can’t cure racism with racism!

Again, for the purpose of emphasis, it must be established that, under certain circumstances, the principles of affirmative action have their merits. However, on the whole, many of these perceived benefits tend to fall apart under the lens of a microscope. The proof of this is right there in the pudding.

Let’s consider the fact that colleges take race into consideration when offering admissions for example.

For the sake of better understanding just how wrong the very thought of this is, let’s assume that 10 students sit for a college entrance exam. Half of these students are white while the other half come from different races.

Let’s also say that 4 of the white students met the required pass mark and the last one came close but didn’t quite make it. On the other hand, 1 person of color made the cutoff, two came close and the last two weren’t anywhere near the required cutoff.

Now, let’s assume that there are only 5 vacant slots in the school.

The very existence of affirmative action means that, automatically, at least one white student won’t make it into the school, even though they did everything that they should’ve done. In such a case, virtually everyone in that story gets slighted.

Consider the white student(s) who doesn’t get admitted for example. What lesson are they supposed to learn from that experience? You won’t always get what you deserve, because of something someone you didn’t even know did wrong? The color of someone’s skin beats hard work and dedication? Race is more important than academics to an academic institution?

What about the student(s) of color who shouldn’t have made the cut but did? Would they have any real incentive to put their best into anything in the school? Would they even be able to cope in such a demanding setting? Would they be able to push themselves to reach their true potential?

The answer to all these questions is “No”, by the way. That’s why something as ridiculous as the average SAT scores of African-American students and white students in #Stanford reaching a disparity as high as 171 points is possible!

Let’s consider things from the standpoint of the one person of color who DID make the cut as well. What did their effort really amount to in the end? How are they supposed to feel knowing that someone who didn’t do nearly as much as they did can easily get the same privileges? Would they be inspired to do better in such climes?

The bitter truth is that taking race into consideration when offering admissions does no good. And, the eight states that maintain that disposition currently are better off for it.

Maintaining that color of a person’s skin entitles them to something they’re clearly not qualified for is damaging to society both in the short term and in the long term.

In the end, affirmative action is just “positive discrimination”. And, when push comes to shove, discrimination is still discrimination, regardless of what you qualify it with.

We have made a ridicule of normalcy all in the name of promoting “diversity”. The irony is that this diversity fundamentally drives us even further apart.

Thankfully, it’s not too late to right the course of this ship.

Colleges can still stop pandering to race in any capacity when proffering admissions. They can stop polluting academia and start doing what they should’ve always done; prioritize the pursuit of knowledge above all else.