As a former City Council aide and lobbyist, I learned very quickly why there was a need for affirmative action. Many believe that we, as voters, have a say-so on how our elected officials vote, since they are elected to represent our best interests. Not! Money is the deciding factor.
Let's take a look at our state legislators who, by the way, earn almost $7,000 a year. They vote the way their main contributors would like for them to vote. After all, the first lesson in politics is: Do not bite the hand that feeds you. Next on their lists are the lobbyists.
Many times, bills in the House pass because lobbyists pass out what I call "legal bribes." Do you really think our legislators are knowledgeable about all the issues they vote on? Not! Their information comes from interest groups that can afford to pay someone, such as a lobbyist, to inform them about a particular bill.
Dan Morales' stand on affirmative action is seen as no more than the "white thing to do." He wants to cater to the majority.
Initially, affirmative action was supposed to ensure equal opportunities for everyone. At the time, it was no secret that certain groups were left out of jobs, contracts, etc. Obviously, everything has been fixed, so there is no longer a need for affirmative action. One example is right here on campus. Count how many Hispanics and African-Americans are administrators and tenured professors. When you get to five, let me know. I know what you are thinking. The best qualified people should get the jobs. You are absolutely right; however, who is to decide what makes a person qualified?
On the topic of education, what makes a high school or college graduate a better candidate for a job? Is it GPA and test scores? Let's say one student is a product of an inner-city school and worked full time and another went to a private school and never worked a day in his or her life. Can we compare the two?
Taking away affirmative action sends a strong message to Americans. It assumes that there is no discrimination. If that's the case, where are the Hispanics and African-Americans on the executive boards of the big corporations? If they need help finding someone, I could surely do that for them!
Mendez is the assistant director for the Scholarship Enrichment Program.