In response to Carrie Chin's editorial in the October 10 issue of The Technique, I have something to say. The editorial started off very well. I totally agree with the assessment that a person should be judged on his/her merit and work ethic. However, I must take offense with the rest of the editorial. It was not the work ethic of our forefathers that built this country; it was the work of first many indentured servants and then slaves that made America what it is today. The great Thomas Jefferson, writer of one of the greatest works of indivdualism and freedom of all time, kept many slaves and servants on his plantation in Virginia.
Secondly, I know many people, of all minorities, [who] have told me that their parents would not have had the opportunity that they received had it not been for affirmative action measures. This is not to say that these people lack merit or work ethic, which they do not. Unfortunately, affirmative action is the only way that some people can get their foot in the door. An important fact to remember is that affirmative action is not just for the benefit of minorities. The highest number of people affected by affirmative action is white females. So, do we now question the merit and work ethic of all white women in the United States?
Also, to call the fight over affirmative action "a greater injustice than the racial discrimination civil-rights activists sought to defeat in the 1960s" is an insult to every person who has fought racial inequality. I am sure that [Ms. Chin's] grandparents are proud people. Mine were too; they taught me to take every opportunity afforded to me, because another one was not guaranteed. So I will continue to achieve, with every A that I make, every interview I have, every job I get. With that, my grandparents will smile, knowing that their grandson did what he was told, and became the best person that he could be.
