Waldo Jaquith: On affirmative action
It's late at night, and I know just what you are looking for too. A thought provoking conversation on affirmative action:Public universities do not exist, and should not exist, for taking the very smartest 18-year-olds in the state and making them smarter still. Doing this takes the individuals who have had the greatest opportunities in life and gives them more opportunities still. It increases the divide between the haves and the have-nots. The purpose of public higher education should be to lift up everybody. In a utilitarian sense, it’s far better to take the diamonds in the rough—smart kids who had the misfortune to be born into a poor family in an underfunded school district—and allow them to better themselves and, in turn, enrich their families and communities. I think it is good and right that we recognize that universities serve a much larger purpose than merely stuffing facts into kids’ heads. We should strive to create a rich and varied community for them to occupy for their time in college. Excellent observations in the comments section as well.
You'll be a better person for reading this, trust me.
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3 Comments:
James, that has to be the best comment ever. 10 pts for style!
If someone works really hard to get a bit ahead, we should discriminate against them because their hard work gave them a better opportunity?
If you presume that people act totally as agents of thier own internal drive and ambition such a philosophy might work.
But in the real world, anything that punishes achievement and rewards slackards will produce an overabundance of slackards and a dearth of achievement.
Of course, my starting point is that I don't think public colleges exist to level the playing field. I think they exist at best to provide a low-cost way for the ambitious to better themselves.
But still, thanks for the head's up.
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