Survival Strategies

[Bob Sheridan]

Many of the immigrant groups in America can point to a long history of 
having been victimized in their homeland and of being made to feel 
unwelcome here through bias, prejudice, and all sorts of 
discrimination.  Many have succeeded, nevertheless, in competing 
successfully while maintaining their group identity.  Few had the 
benefit (?) of a program of affirmative action.  They were in fact left 
to sink or swim.  They take pride in having overcome adversity.  They 
seem stronger for it.

To the extent that AA survives, it may be self-defeating for the 
minority it is supposed to benefit, for it proclaims the members of that 
group as victims.  You don't want to be a victim.  You want to be a 
person who overcomes adversity and is stronger for it.  AA is training 
wheels for people who don't need it. At some point one needs to ride w/o 
the unnecessary support, which only invites ridicule and hostility.

It seems to me that there must be all sorts of ways, some discussed 
here, of encouraging those who want to compete better, to do so.  I 
don't think we've exhausted the list of possible ideas, and suggest that 
all the effort, energy, and rancor devoted to the legitimacy, or not, of 
AA, might be better devoted to exploring other ways of general 
application that don't discriminate among group members.  To the extent 
that these require government support, well and good.  Government could 
rightfully help show the way to a brighter future for all citizens, not 
just those of particular groups, and it would be a worthwhile project to 
come up with useful proposals toward this end.  AA seems to draw 
attention away from such efforts, which can hardly be a good thing.

Bob S.
sfls
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