<p>I agree, AA based on class would be much more beneficial. IMO, as it currently stands, AA generally puts the URM student at a disadvantage. I spend most of my time on TLS so my opinion against AA is mostly on the GS level. The URM students that get into T14 schools generally have lower numbers. These kids basically get thrown into the ring with 150 other kids who have higher scores, all throwing down possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars to compete for a limited number of good grades/jobs. </p>
<p>One of my sisters teaches in New Orleans. She teaches in a rough neighborhood that is largely populated by African-Americans. The issue is too big to even explain but basically she has a hard time teaching due to the schools/parents/students. Many students are poor. Many will only get their meals for the day at school. Yet, well over half of these kids have a smartphone. My sister says most of her students don’t have good role models at home. The ones that don’t take school seriously disrupt the rest of the classroom and hold others behind. Some show signs of learning disabilities but the parents refuse to test their kids. The parents and school refuse to hold kids back. The list goes on and on. And it isn’t as if this experience is exclusive to the black community this is just what my sister has observed in 5 years there. </p>
<p>The one’s who do benefit from AA are often very advantaged as well. I think this is another aspect that could obviously be fixed if it was based on SEC rather than skin color. Clarence Thomas noted the fact that AA makes the student/employers essentially think in the back of their mind that they got where they were due to skin color, not intellect. Which often can hurt someone who is actually really intelligent. I mean we’ve got a 2 term black president and a black man in the SCOTUS that both benefited from AA. One of those, the more intelligent in my opinion, stands firmly against AA. </p>
<p>“Personally, since I view Affirmative Action as an attempt to rectify some aspects of institutionalized racism.” </p>
<p>I personally just feel as though those competing for admittance have played no role in any perceived acts of institutionalized racism. Rectifying things of this magnitude seems like something that would have worked in the 1800’s.</p>