the discussion is problematic to begin with because the vast majority of black people don't know who jesse lee peterson is...he's just not on our radar. i've known about this guy for a long time, but that's because i 'm a nerd who watches c-span for fun and reads sociological studies about race because that kinda stuff interests me.
but that poor woman was ambushed...she had no idea this is a guy who has made his career as a fringe agitator, undermining the narrative that there is racial inequality in america. IMO, if the lady had been some kinda weirdo, unbeknownst to jesse, and shared his fucked up views about race and inequality, this video would never have been posted...he woulda kicked her out of the studio after 5 minutes, because he woulda had no use for her and woulda probably questioned her sanity. it's because jesse knows that blacks share a common experience in america and one that is well documented, that he knows there will be a discussion on the topic. but picking a random woman who is not an expert in this area is not the way to explore this topic...if he wants to do right by his viewers he should pick on a black studies professor or a civil rights lawyer. but he doesn't do this because he knows they would chew him up and spit him out in a bloody heap. so, he picks on an ordinary woman to beat up while his racist followers cheer along. that jsut makes jesse an asshole...and a coward.
the bottomline about affirmative action is that the only thing blacks "get" is opportunity. Once they get that opportunity they have to prove themselves. Affirmative action was a necessity because for many years there was a quota of zero when it comes to blacks. blacks were denied opportunity. affirmative action is not racism...affirmative action is the cure for racism. it removes the barriers against blacks getting into college, the police force, the fire dept, etc., by taking into consideration all the factors that are necessary to perform those jobs successfully. but getting the job is not the victory...keeping the job, graduating from the school, THAT's the victory. therefore affirmative action says nothing at all about the quality of person you are...all it says is that you,as a black person, finally got the opportunity others have always taken for granted.
So, whites oppose affirmative action, not really because they feel it produces an inferior product. they oppose it because they are AFRAID IT DOESN'T. once blacks prove they can be great policemen, firemen, graduate from harvard, etc, they start to compete on even terms with whites...it becomes a more level playing field...that threatens white people and encroaches on their white privilege, which by the way, is a realty. and that is why whites hate affirmative action and object to it. its about holding onto to white supremacy at all costs and continuing to deny opportunities to others while blaming those others for being lazy and lacking ingenuity as the reasons they haven't risen up.
