The Affirmative Action DebateWritten by Peter Kennedy
Affirmative action is one of most controversial political issues facing America. Most often, affirmative action assists disadvantaged groups by improving placement in higher education and employment, and term is most often conceived as a program to improve standing of African Americans. People take several stances on issue, supporting their opinions with various justifications, such as need for equality and natural competition. Although it was created to help advance position of disadvantaged peoples, some view affirmative action as an unfair, and even prejudicial, force in our society.Institutionalized in 1965 by Johnson administration, Executive Order 11246 required that federal contractors "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin." The 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act, both during Johnson’s tenure, helped to ensure equal treatment of African Americans in 20th century. While Johnson administration institutionalized affirmative action, struggle for equality actually began a century earlier with passage of important legislation. In late 1860s and early 1870s, 13th, 14th and 15th amendments respectively abolished slavery, guaranteed African Americans citizenship and voting rights. The 1866 Civil Rights Act helped to ensure property rights for African Americans.
| | Ohio Mosque Promotes MurderWritten by David Ben-Ariel
One day - I'll never forget it - my former "Palestinian" student-neighbors purposely showed me a newsletter from Islamic Center in Perrysburg, Ohio that had a story from Haddith - sayings attributed to Mohammad - that spoke of a war in last days between Jews and Muslims, and how Jews would hide behind trees and trees would say, "There's a Jew behind me, kill him!" except for one tree that would shelter Jews.The next month singles' club from Worldwide Church of God went to mosque for a dinner-tour, followed by a question and answer session with Egyptian imam/religious leader (who has since died and was praised as one who supposedly sought peace between different religions). I repeated "spiritual lesson" to imam and asked him if Muslims had any such saying. He replied that Jews create such spurious sayings in order to discredit Islam and Arabs. I then shocked him, and audience, when I asked: "If that's not a Muslim story, and is spurious and created by Jews, then why would you, as leader of this Islamic community permit that very story to be published in your newsletter last month?" He was speechless.
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