America not as diverse as some think

I am not a minority. As a white male, it seems as though I receive no benefit from affirmative action, but I do. Diversity helps all of us — when we are surrounded by people of different backgrounds, we achieve a better understanding of the world.

The problem is not a matter of rights. We have done an effective job of breaking down barriers in the past 50 years, but the job is not done. Minorities are still grossly underrepresented in the places where it matters: in college, in management and in government.

African-Americans make up 13 percent of our country's population, and at the University of Alabama they make up 11 percent. We cannot think of diversity as just black and white; however, Hispanic-Americans make up 15 percent of the national population, but they are just 2 percent of the student body here at UA.

UA is just one example, but according to 2006 U.S. Census estimates, 28.6 percent of whites have earned a bachelor's degree or higher, while only 17.3 percent of blacks and 10.4 percent of Hispanics have done the same. An achievement gap indisputably exists.
CW News Editor Dave Folk stated in his column that "nearly all races are represented in leadership positions," and "a black man has been leading polls for the highest office in America for months," but look at the bigger picture.

Currently in the 100-member United States Senate, there is one African-American, three Hispanics, two Asian-Americans (both from Hawaii), one Arab-American and a whopping 16 women.

If elected, Barack Obama would be the 44th person to serve as president of the United States, and would make the office of the president since inception 97.7 percent white and 2.3 percent black.

We know that minorities are underrepresented, but the question here is whether affirmative action is the correct choice.

Folk points out that it could drive hard-working whites out of jobs because "the company or college needs to fill a quota." He then attacks Barack Obama for supporting affirmative action but quotes Obama as stating, "It can't be a quota system."

Quotas are certainly not the best choice; even some minorities I have talked to have stated that they do not want to feel as though they only made it into college or a job through a quota, but we cannot forget the plight of those society has neglected.

Perhaps it is useless to think that everyone should have a "door of opportunity," but this is the United States of America, and what has made this country great is that everything is possible, even considering the fact that, according to 2005 census estimates, the median black household makes slightly more than half as much as the average white family.

Perhaps Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and, dare I say, Barack Obama, make a living not because of the race issue, but in spite of it.

Jonathan Reed is a freshman majoring in political science.