<p>I'm an upper-middle class white person, and I'm against racially-based but in favor of socioeconomically-based affirmative action. I don't really understand the basis. If you don't have the money, then you're unable to take an SAT-prep course that a wealthier person was able to. If you're black, that gives you no different opportunity for such things.</p>
<p>Rollo, I have to say, I disagree with your post quite a bit. Yes, I agree that slavery is not taught enough in schools today. However, how is not giving boosts to a person because of their race "repeat[ing] the mistakes of the past"? And while it's wonderful that your parents were able to send you to a good prep school, how is that in any way related to your race? It doesn't show that race is causing anyone any disadvantages, it shows that money is. So, in effect, you're arguing more for socioeconomic AA than for racial AA. And of course, saying that " if you are a smart person you are going to get into HYPS regardless" and "if your parents attended HYPS you are most like going to get in anyway why worry" is obviously a total oversimplification and just not true.</p>
<p>My two cents :-/</p>
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And I must also take Franklin out of this.
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<p>Wise choice considering he risked inciting open civil war by pushing for a removal of the gag rule</p>
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A very good friend of mine from Germany told me that teaching the Holocaust is mandatory in German high schools. However, in the US slavery is hardly mentioned.
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<p>I haven't seen a more patently untrue statement in a good long time. I can't tell you the amount of time I've spent learning about slavery in history class, about the harlem renaissance in english and other non "august founding fathers". We watched Amistad in middle school, we read Their Eyes Were Watching God freshman year, We watched Glory in eighth grade. I remember coming home from school one day and asking my parents if they knew who harriet tubman was. They didn't know. I was shocked, considering we'd spent a ton of time doing a segment on the underground railroad. I was in elementary school at the time and I'm pretty sure I couldn't have told you who James Madison or Alexander Hamilton were. But I knew Harriet Tubman. Everyone knows Harriet Beecher Stowe, although Alexis de Toqueville is nearly forgotten in the high school curriculum. Please don't tell me that historical slavery suffers from a public relations issue.</p>
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If you are a smart person you are going to get into HYPS regardless.
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<p>You can tell that to the 50% of 1600 SAT applicants who were rejected.</p>
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If your parents attended HYPS you are most like going to get in anyway why worry.
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<p>And if they didn't?</p>