I heard an interesting commercial on the radio this past week.

Its content was really simple—there was a job opening at a local company and people were being invited to fill out applications.

That was all fine and well, but it was the end of the commercial that struck me as odd.

After going through a whole spiel about starting salaries and how great the company was to work for, the announcer said that the company was an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

Now, the equal opportunity part seems simple enough. All applicants are considered on an equal basis, regardless of race, color, sexual orientation, etc. Right? If I’m wrong about this, please correct me.

However, it’s the equal opportunity concept coupled with affirmative action that doesn’t make sense to me.

Again, correct me if I’m wrong, but it has always been my understanding that if a company hires on the basis of affirmative action, its aim is to hire those from minorities or those under-represented in the workplace instead of the traditional stock white male.

If this is indeed the case, how can the company be an equal opportunity employer?

If the company believes in affirmative action, wouldn’t it automatically be discriminating against white males, the stereotypical, traditional “role model” employee of America?

It’s clearly a contradiction of terms.

This brings me to the concept of affirmative action as a whole.

The subject has been plastered all over every talk show known to man (or woman, as the case may be), and frankly, I find the whole thing ridiculous.

Guests on these panels preach about the importance of their need for equal rights and, at the same time, advocate a discriminatory practice.

In reality, the people who benefit from affirmative action prohibit others from partaking in their right to equal opportunity.

Perhaps the most ridiculous part of the whole affirmative action argument is the concept behind it.

So, you say that your ancestors were mistreated and now you deserve compensation?

Whose ancestors weren’t mistreated? Mine were. In fact, I think it would be close to impossible to find someone whose ancestors didn’t receive some type of unfair treatment at least once in their lives.

But is the mere fact that people were not treated with as much respect as they deserved enough reason to do the same to others in the present?

Affirmative action is simply another name for reverse discrimination.

When a position opens up for a job, it should be filled by the individual who is most qualified. Period.

If judging a person’s qualifications by skin color, religion, nationality or sexual orientation was wrong in the past, why should it be right now?

I thought we were supposed to learn from mistakes.