Affirmative action should be eliminated. It is exclusionary and bases admission on the color of one's skin.

We all should be judged on our hard work, not race. I grew up in a so called "diverse" community. (I am a 'minority' by the way) My parents raised me properly. I worked hard in school & stayed out of trouble. I focused on improving my life by learning and having an open mind. I did not make sports, celebrities & fashion become my priority. In the end, I went to a good school, and have a good job. All this wasn't because of my 'race' but because of what me and my family believe in and worked for. I have black friends who are successful because of what they have achieved, not because of their race. If we want an even playing field, we should teach our young ones to value opportunity & work hard, so they can achieve what they deserve, and not expect it to be handed to them ...this goes for ALL races

There is no room in this country for government-sanctioned programs of preference based on race, gender or similar criteria. You cannot remedy past discrimination by perpetuating discriminatory practices, regardless of the target or beneficiary.

What about veteran's?

There is still a need for affirmative action in some places, but reserving places in competitive schools based on skin color is not fair. My favorite example is the highly competitive Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology right here in Fairfax County. Teaching ESOL in elementary school helps students become more competitive, but reserving slots at TJHSST for non-English speakers or providing translators so they can succeed once admitted does not. Educating blacks and whites on why the majority of the TJHSST body is Asian can provide a roadmap and inspire them to work toward admission, but reserving slots at TJHSST for blacks and whites to balance the racial makeup does not. When affirmative action is used to prepare and motivate people to succeed we have success; when affirmative action is viewed as reparations or a shortcut to success, we fail.

Mike, the point I am trying to make (albeit not very clearly) is that veteran's should not be given any more or any less consideration than any other American. Last time I checked they still received a US Government paycheck.

Affirmative Action must be eliminated, as it is racist in principle. Its sole existence implies that racial minorities are somehow less capable of achieving the same outcomes than the rest, and they must have some additional help in order to do so. It doesn't get any more racist than that. I consider that an insult. Just think: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." As long as Affirmative Action exists, people will continue being judged by the color of their skin, there's no way around it. As member of a "minority", according to many of the forms I've completed, I don't accept being officially classified as anything other than American. I believe in the melting pot principle, and I am opposed to the divide and conquer approach of the government. Eliminate Affirmative Action.

I applied to Bryn Mawr back in the 80s (before computers, this would probably not work these days) and as a Caucasian I was not accepted. My father sent in the identical application without my knowledge and changed just one thing: he changed my race to Native American. That got me accepted. His argument was that I am qualified to call myself a Native American because I do have the necessary amount of Cherokee blood, so that was OK. My response was that I did not grow up in that culture, suffered no deprivations in my education because of my race, and why should I simply use that fact when it suits me? The underlying issue of course is that if I was not accepted as a Caucasian, I should not have been accepted as a Native American -- unless colleges have lower standards for minorities, which is not good.

Affirmative Action is racist at its core. What if these same principles were applied to local, state, and federal government elections?

Use the cream of the crop and get rid of this social engineering. Take it a step further and require contracts go to the lowest bidders and not to minority's or women just because of race or gender.

I agree that Affirmative Action should be eliminated and that to make sure that diversity is not effected, don't make students identify with a certain group until after they are admitted or at all. You are always going to have universities that go one way or the other but it evens out across the board. Of course there are less black students than white enrolled in university they are a MINORITY therefore the numbers will never match!!!

At my workplace, there are 55 teachers and educational staff members
48 = White
4 = Blacks
2 = Mixed
1 = Latino

The student population is 40% Latino, many who are recent immigrants and are still learning English.

Is there a need for more diversity among teachers and staff in order to reflect the needs of the students?

That's the reason why Affirmative Action might be needed. Of course, it is not a perfect system, but at times it is necessary.

Not good enough. What happens if the white teacher speaks the immigrants language? The best qualified gets the job take race and put it in the porcelin popper where it has always belonged.