The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Friday, February 08, 2008
Letter to the Editor:
Carl Maltba wrote, in his letter Tuesday titled "Historic call to end affirmative action," that if Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton wins the presidential election, "affirmative-action programs granting privileged status to members of minority groups would have to end." This is factually and logically incorrect.
Affirmative-action programs provide equal opportunity for qualified individuals to remedy historic and ongoing discrimination against women and minorities in our nation and our communities. The "privileged status" that Maltba claims affirmative-action programs give to minorities is, in reality, a remedy for the ongoing "preferential treatment" received by Caucasian citizens, particularly white males, in our society. I have benefitted from this preferential treatment, as a white male, all of my life.
One woman or a single black male becoming president does not equate to the end of discrimination in the United States. Ignoring that the previous 42 presidents were all white males and that the vast majority of all leadership positions in our nation, whether in government or business, continue to be held by white males is not an honest evaluation of discrimination or reality.
I'll recognize the end of racial and gender discrimination when the percentages of women and minorities in leadership positions in this country mirror their percentages in our population.
Michael J. Gaynier
Cleveland Heights
http://www.cleveland.com/letters/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1202463146188850.xml&coll=2
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