# Is mentioning the existence of affirmative action sexist or racist?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mentioning-the-existence-of-affirmative-action-sexist-or-racist/843744>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [November 21, 2019, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mentioning-the-existence-of-affirmative-action-sexist-or-racist/843744 "2019-11-21T01:15:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SamuelA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mentioning-the-existence-of-affirmative-action-sexist-or-racist/843744/1 "2019-11-21T01:15:57Z")

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Affirmative action, as I understand it, is the following:

a. Assume that all gender/race subgroups have equal potential  
b. Look at the pool of gender/race subgroups in a large organization  
c. Under-presented gender/race subgroups are ones that are less prevalent than in the outside population and over are the opposite (many organizations instead go by the _applicant pool_ but this creates [the pipeline problem](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/07/silicon-valley-google-diversity-black-women-workers))  
d. Discriminate against over-represented groups by making them score more highly to get in (for google, that’s more leetcode questions correct, for a university it would be a higher SAT or GMAT or MCAT score)  
e. Lower the bar (accept lower scores, give extra opportunities, offer special extra entrance chances) for those who are under-represented

Note that affirmative action in _favor_ of white males is racism and sexism, but as long as its **against** those privileged villains it’s ok. (though it doesn’t _[always](https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/18/harvard-affirmative-action-case-pits-asian-americans-against-each-other-everyone-else/)_ hurt them)

## Anyways, I got a warning for mentioning this fact sarcastically. “being a jerk”. Is it being a jerk to express the truth? Does anyone doubt that this is how affirmative action works? Reason:

Being a jerk

## This is a warning for being a jerk. It’s also sexist and racist.

Original Post:  
[https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=21984093](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=21984093)

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mentioning-the-existence-of-affirmative-action-sexist-or-racist/843744/2 "2019-11-21T01:40:15Z")

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Since the OP has been banned, this is closed.