The nerve of you to say it is unfair. The white man is just getting what we and others have been recieving for centuries. So go wipe your eyes off and persevere like we have. The contracts and the jobs that had been dominated by the white man are now common ground for everyone and thats the "American Way". If you dont like it leave....

quit trashing neighborhoods and stealing everything not nailled down and making drugs and disturbing people till all hours of the night with loud annoying music and yelling and shooting and general acting like fools and maybe hattie people would,nt feel that way

it is not now nor has ever been fair to chose someone for a job because of skin color or race period , but it happens everday

and qualified people have no choice but to complain

Wake up Hattie! It's not 1860 anymore!

For the past 40 years black and white kids have sat side by side in the same classrooms in the same schools and have been given the same opportunity to get an education.

When white people become drunks and drug addicts, have children without marriage, drop out of school, and break the law and end up in jail - they too will end up with a life of failure and poverty. When white people don't pay their bill and manage their money, they will lose their homes and cars, too.

For the past fifty years all we have heard about from the Civil Rights crowd is 'we want a level playing field." Last week the Supreme Court did just that. Your the one who need to wipe your eyes and get busy telling your people that they will lead a life of despair and poverty unless they learn to take personal responsibility for their actions. And that includes passing the tests at their jobs to get a promotion.

Let me put this in "real life" terms; a 'situation' for example. Let's imagine for a moment a very important public job, with daily life and death decisions to made, has one opening. Instead of choosing the caucasian with the educational background in that field and experience to boot, the minority with neither is chosen for employment to meet the Affirmative Action quotas; simply because they applied and there MUST be (according to AA laws), a certain percentage of each race employed by a company. Now, this person is going to work each day, struggling to make these decisions because of the lack of education and experience, subordinates have no respect because of the the way the minority gained employment and refuse to follow, soon--lives began to be lost. After a while, because of the pressure of the job, the hired minority begins to skip work, and even more lives are lost because said minority wasn't there to even make an attempt at a decision-- not even a 'flip a coin' decision. Soon, the position is open again and the cycle starts all over. Noone gains with Affirmative Action and we are all 'losers.'

Here's my question to those who feel like Hattie; why should human lives be put at risk just to fill quotas? This is just an example and not all AA jobs are "life or death" situations-- however, the case of the firefighters goes to show how easily it can result in just that.

If 'minorities' don't rise up and stand on their own two feet, fighting for jobs with education and experience, by continuing to rely on Affirmative Action; they will continue to feel the insecurity and 'discrimination' by the quickly dwindling 'majority.' True equality comes when there are no more regulations and quoats to say that we are all "equal."

Reader: I agree with you for the most part. But why is it that, in all of these posts and hypothetical situations, we assume the white person is the one more qualified? "Instead of choosing the caucasian with the educational background in that field and experience to boot, ..." What about when the minority is the most qualified? For decades (centuries, actually), folks who were not white males never had an opportunity to compete, to show that they could do the job. We have come a long way. But we still have some ways to go before "true equality" arrives, IMHO.

Also: Do you think it is OK in your hypothetical that "subordinates have no respect ... and refuse to follow"? Is it really OK to shirk your responsibility because you consider your co-worker or supervisor or whatever to be unqualified? Doesn't that reflect as badly, or worse, on those "subordinates" that they don't care enough about a life-or-death responsibility to give it their best? Affirmative action had a purpose, and has helped level the field. From its inception, many people argued that it was not necessary. They were obviously wrong then, because it has helped many minorities help themselves. Are they right now? We're getting closer to that day ...

THOMAS AND WANDA ...YOU TWO ARE TOTALLY CLUELESS... HOW QUICK DO WE FORGET, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYTIME I LOOK @ THE LOCAL NEWS ITS WHITE PEOPLE THAT ARE ESCAPING FROM PRISON , ROBBING DRUG STORES KILLING THEIR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD FOR INSURANCE POLCIES AND LETS NOT EVEN BRING UP METH...YALL HAVE BEEN DRUNKS AND DRUG ADDICTS FOR FOREVER AND A DAY.THROUGH OUT HISTORY WELL QUALIFIED BLACK INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN OVER LOOKED STRICKLY BECAUSE OF THEIR SKIN COLOR. SO PLEASE SPARE ME WITH THAT NONSENSE...ALSO, MY FACTS TOWARDS CRIME, ARE NOT ONLY BACKEDY THE LOCAL TV STATIONS, BUT ALSO BY "THE DECATUR DAILY". WE AS A PEOPLE ARE MORE THAN QUALIFIED TO PAST ANY TEST PUT IN FRONT OF US. THIS IS A NEW DAY AND TIME SO GET WITH IT. THIS IS FOR "READER" SAME SITUATION HAPPENED BEFORE. BIILY BOB GETS THE JOB BECAUSE HE ANDY ARE DOUBLED KINNED WITH A 5TH GRADE EDUCATION BUT THE COLLEGE GRAD. FROM ALABAMA A&M GETS DENIED SIMPLY FOR THE COLOR OF HIS SKIN...

Bob, I'll answer your questions because I can see the confusion of my post. Firstly, the reason for the assumption of the more qualified caucasian is because the topic is Affirmative Action. This is meant to be beneficial to 'minorities.' There is no reason to assume that a higher qualified 'minority' receiving a position over a less qualified (educationally and experienced) caucasian would cause such an uproar. -- However, I do agree that even in THIS day and age there are those that would prove even that theory wrong.

Secondly, I absolutely do NOT think it is ok for anyone to 'shirk responsibility' and refuse to follow, no matter what they think of their 'upper management.' I do believe this has become a problem in workplaces from the local corner convenience store, to Wal-Mart, to hospitals, all the way to government held positions in America. I agree fully that it reflects worse on those "subordinates" that devalue the jobs they 'earned' and worked to gain by doing less than above their best when they see that a less able person is put into position 'above' them.

For Hattie, I don't understand exactly what that has to do with anything from my post, but I think I can guess the point you are trying to make. But, let me ask you this (because of the typical stereotyping you have brought into play-- I am going to turn this around): do you think if, in your hypothetical situation, the A&M graduate got the job over Andy's cousin, simply because he was the 'baby daddy' of the owner, and needed to be paying child support on his multiple illegitimate children? Obviously, the A&M graduate was more qualified than BillyBob, but who's to say that there wasn't a single childless female, graduated from Auburn, but no relation to anyone within the company....

There are no "winners" within any of these "situations." And as long as there are groups and the thinking of all the posters (self included) we will never move forward. But, I still have hope for the future. Not in the next generation-- but who's to say what can happen with our children's children? Maybe they will get tired of our endless bickering over something as minor as build up of pigment on our outer shell.

Reader: Thanks for clarifying. I'm just saying, though, that there were many instances in the past (and possibly today as well), when a more-qualified "minority" was passed up (or possibly not even considered) in favor of a less-qualified Caucasian. And in many instances there was no uproar. Of course, there is plenty of uproar now, just as there are an increasing number of instances when the less-qualified minority has gotten the job over the more-qualified Caucasian.

As long as we keep using stereotypes to make our cases (and those on both sides of the issue are guilty, as evidenced above), we will get stuck bickering and fail to make progress toward equal opportunity.

It sounds to me as if everyone who has posted a comment here has a racial motovation for what they have said. Hattie, I partly agree with what you have said, but it's hard to agree with because you are obviously a racist! Yes, that's right a racist! I as a white person don't like the way you referred to a white person as "Billy Bob". How would you like it if I referred to a black person as Tyrone or Marquis? Sounds pretty racist huh. This is the 21st Century and it is time to let go of all the negative stereotypes, black and white alike! So lets all wipe our eyes and move forward! If you don't get the job(white or black), so what!

Keep trying, and take your resume elsewhere.

Absolutely, Bob. As for your last statement, this is the reason I included "self" my post. If I can still "think" in stereotypes, (in order to apply them correctly,) I have not truly moved forward, passed the boundaries of ignorance that holds us to even a minute trace of racial/gender superiority.

I work for a company where Afirmative Action has been in the forefront for years. Up until recently, a minority could get a position over a non-minority most anyday, because of a law-suit. Because of this, we have highly UNQUALIFIED minorities in upper management who have no desire to learn their job, because they know they will not be terminated. During the time this was going on, if a minority was passed over for a job, the promoter better have a ton of justification as to why they were. Many non-minorities were not promoted just because of fear of the lawsuit. Was this right? Absolutely not!!! No one, I mean no one, should get a job based on the color of their skin. A company should be allowed to be predominately any race, as long as the hiring is based on education, experience, and qualifications. We have come a long way since Afirmative Action was started, I will agree with that, but it is time for us to stop paying for what our ancestors did. The minorities are no longer suffering because of slavery that happened over 100 years ago. If the minorities are suffering, it is at their own hands. One group has the NAACP to stand for them. Does the white man get to have a group that only represents whites? No, the government would take care of that. Can you have a scholarship to a college that specifically states it is given out to a white man or woman? No, the minorities would take care of that one too. Everyone needs to shut up about equal rights. If you want an education, get out there and get one. If you want a better job, get an education. If you expect the government to give you something for free, just because you are a minority, then I say go away. I am tired of my tax dollars going to pay for someone else's house, school, food, kids, healthcare...etc. Get an education, get a job, and pay your own dang way!!!

R: You are the problem and you don't even know it.

"If you expect the government to give you something for free, just because you are a minority, then I say go away. I am tired of my tax dollars going to pay for someone else's house, school, food, kids, healthcare...etc. Get an education, get a job, and pay your own dang way!!!"

Do you not realize that there are more Caucasians guilty of expecting a handout than there are minorities expecting same? Especially in Alabama. Yet you still want to place blame squarely on the shoulders of the black man.

I don't know where you work, but if there are indeed "highly unqualified minorities in upp er management who have no desire to learn their job," then I don't expect your company to be around for long.

Of course, you may be exaggerating.

jennie: LOL... SO I GUESS WHAT WANDA AND THOMAS SAID WAS JUST FINE WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU DIDNT CALL THEM OUT.

Bob, I see you chose to hone in one little part of my comment. You can't disagree with any of the rest of it, because you know it is true. Maybe there are more Caucasians guilty of expecting a handout, but we don't have a civil liberties group like the NAACP behind us pushing for us to get something we don't deserve and never worked for. I worked VERY hard for my college education. Worked all through school, never asked the government for a dime. Didn't expect one. I had friends who got student loans, but they never asked for anything for free. They are now ACTUALLY PAYING OFF those loans. Imagine that. What a novelty in the US.

As to the "company" I work for, you can take it to the bank that we won't be going anywhere. Been in business for almost as long as Alabama has been a state. The actual department I work for has been in "official" business since Eisenhower. So, you can assure yourself that I am not exaggerating. I am not the problem. Everyone who backs affirmative action is the problem. Everyone who rushes to the defense of the minorities everytime they whine they are being discriminated against is the problem. Civil liberties rights were a good thing when they started, but they are now antiquated and need to be passed along to the dump.