The Introduction of Affirmative Action

The Introduction of Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action
In the 1960’s, President John F. Kennedy first introduced the term Affirmative Action, which he described it as, “the first step at taking extra measures to ensure integration in federally funded jobs.” Affirmative action policies are used to increase opportunities for minorities by favoring them in hiring and promotions, college admissions, and government contract awards. Minorities include any underrepresented group, especially one depending on race, gender or ethnicity. Those deprecating affirmative action believe that it is unfair to discriminate against members of one group today to compensate for discrimination against other groups in the past. Today, affirmative action has become a very controversial issue among Americans, especially when it comes to college admissions. Universities are now making it harder for the majority (white males) to attend because of their emphasis on diversity. In Jim Huber’s cartoon Politically Correct, he appeals to pathos by using satire to tackle this highly controversial issue. It can most easily be inferred that Jim Huber believes that it is unfair that minorities receive favoritism in college admissions over whites.
Huber’s primary intention of the cartoon is located on the surface. By casually reading the cartoon, it appears to be funny, but after analyzing and dissecting it, a deeper meaning can be found
Policymakers fervently believe that more than three centuries of enslavement, oppression, and discrimination had so economically deprived African Americans that some mechanism had to be put in place that would at least allow them a fighting chance. Blacks were locked out of the highest paid positions and made considerably fewer dollars than their white counterparts in the same job. Moreover, the number of African Americans enrolling in the nation’s undergraduate and graduate school schools was extremely low. Affirmative Action is a vehicle to correct injustice. The original intent of Affirmative...

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