[trabant00]

> people fighting against affirmative action need to propose an alternative rather than just complain about it

Not only is an alternative proposed, it's already implemented for quite a while: discrimination is illegal. Equal outcome vs equal opportunity. You can argue for any side you want, just don't pretend you don't see or don't understand the other position.

[jaltekruse]

I see this as just as simple and misguided of a take as noticing that affirmative action is racist. People have been making this argument forever, we passed all laws and did all the work we needed to when we ended slavery, oh wait nope we got it right in 1967 with the civil rights act, no more work to do, the only tragedy left is that the damn "riff raff" and lefties just can't stop talking about race. They're the real racists!

This thread is depressing as fuck and really is making me rethink how often I ought come to this site, and interact with this community. And I really didn't realize how much this toxic bullshit was pervasive in tech. I am going to be participating more in DEI initiatives going forward, while taking the feedback and criticism of the OP into account.

[trabant00]

I said nothing like "damn lefties" or anything similar, don't know why you are replying this to me. Nor do I understand why you had to explain how repulsive the other side of the debate is to you.

As for "simple and misguided" - that is exactly how I see affirmative action where the recipients are selected by skin color and not by socioeconomic status and where the help comes in the form of outcomes and not opportunities.

[hgsgm]

Equal opportunity as in paying reparations for slavery, Jim Crow laws, and the rest?

Or no because the statute of limitations expires while white government was busy refusing to entertain the idea?

Support for reparations is table stakes for anyone talking about "equal opportunity".