Affirmative action. This is what irks me about the American education system. It seems a section of the American way is to provide solutions that can never really work. Affirmative action falls into that category.  

What exactly is affirmative action? It is the method of favoring individuals, typically minorities, for things like college admissions as well as job opportunities, rather than using merit or achievements.  

This isn’t a direct hate towards the American education system, but it should be a reminder of how we can fix some aspects of a faulty system. Affirmative action has never been proved as a useful metric at denying racism at every corner, but rather it spurs an idea of diversity within the people. While certainly I would advocate for that ideal, we are dividing the American people. It is vital to make steps towards a viable future, with the first step being to abolish affirmative action. 

A common misconception with affirmative action is the idea of diversity. Supporters argue that increasing affirmative action will only lead to more diversity and benefits for minority students. However, this only presents a problem when well-deserving students get rejected from school, and minority students start to struggle as the school year progresses. This doesn’t mean that minorities are simply not capable of attending university, but we put them in a miserable situation at a university they can’t handle. Academic mismatch only makes minorities feel insecure. Elizabeth Slattery of the Heritage states that Because of affirmative action policies, fewer minorities enter careers in science, technology, [etc.]. This is not due to a lack of talented minority students… [but ] Neither is it due to a lack of interest. [This is] creating a serious credentials gap at every competitive level.” I do agree that minorities getting into college is a great thing, and that is a future goal we must strive for. However, we must realize that only moving minorities into a harder environment will only cause more problems.

California had a similar issue with affirmative action, and as Elizabeth Slattery continues, “California’s race-blind admissions lead to higher grades and fewer dropouts. [Failing students] went to institutions like UC-San Diego and UC-Riverside, [where] Failure rates collapsed, and grades improved.” Only putting someone in stressful situations is proven to not succeed, and catering to their educational needs is vital in our society.

The experience of college life changes drastically for many minorities with affirmative action. Max Larkin describes a similar situation regarding Leon-Saenz, stating. “Leon-Saenz has found a group of like-minded friends, mostly students of color. Some are immigrants, others of indigenous heritage; many are from low-income backgrounds. And they’re united by a common challenge; How to make the most of a college experience at an institution that still isn’t tailored to them.” Affirmative action provides no solvency here. Only adding more minorities creates a more defined gap between income and other factors amongst students, creating a more negative experience in college. 

How can we solve this issue? Well, maybe we can look to Legalism. Founded by Han Feizi, it emphasizes the need of a merit-based system within our society. While the stringent nature of legalism might steer others away from its ideals, it does provide a great framework for what should be an effective solution to a rampant problem. While Han Feizi died from mercury poisoning during the Qin Dynasty, the Legalism principles can live on.

But what does this mean? We understand the values of legalism, but how can this directly solve the affirmative action “crisis”? A merit based system, while maybe not the most heavily favored option, is a great solution to this form of nepotism to minorities. I highly support minorities in college, but the best solution is to implement meritocracy, where the deserving are able to get what they earn. This could encourage minorities to work towards college and finally bring some more diversity to campus, while not inducing stress through education.

The admissions of colleges have vastly relied on racial factors, but as we’ve highlighted, it only creates more problems for the people it’s trying to benefit. A looming threat still lies across the board, and the future of the minorities needs a better solution. Affirmative action is not the answer one should be looking for, and so sadly, we are forced to find a way through this wild system. Must we continue searching for an ineffective solution, or has one been secretly with us for many years? That, my friends, is Legalism.