New USNA Class To Be Most Diverse Ever

we all are americans but americans of different races. Its funny america prides itself on being a melting pot but once race is brought up we are all americans. Its also funny when people say that we are all different and thats what makes us special but once race is brought up we are all the same.

Also, the academy has standards and they havent been lowered for anybody and how do you know what the standards are how do you know that they have been lowered.
 
we all are americans but americans of different races. Its funny america prides itself on being a melting pot but once race is brought up we are all americans. Its also funny when people say that we are all different and thats what makes us special but once race is brought up we are all the same.

Also, the academy has standards and they havent been lowered for anybody and how do you know what the standards are how do you know that they have been lowered.

I never claimed the service academies did. I said that if you started evaluating race in candidates then you are lowering the standards because you are giving race a value giving advantages certain people.

We are a melting pot, and a melting pot is melted together. Not divided among races. If there isn't diversity in a specific field it's for a reason. Everyone should be given equal opportunity. Nobody should receive an advantage for something such as race (which is what you're doing if you try to achieve diversity at the admissions level).

Instead you could just advertice more to minorities and target them by encouraging them to apply.
 
Everyone should be given equal opportunity. Nobody should receive an advantage for something such as race (which is what you're doing if you try to achieve diversity at the admissions level).

Instead you could just advertice more to minorities and target them by encouraging them to apply.

equal oppurtunity. hmm, so you think that all races and ethnicities in this country were given equal oppurtunity from birth then? do you think b/c we are 'all american's' or whatever that everyone whether white, black, asian, hispanic, male or female historically and currently faced the same odds of success?

do you not think its a worthy ideal that enlisted soldiers should be represented by officers of similar background, or is 'an american' background all the same? what about the american public? forget the whole "merrit" issue because that's not a debatable question, minorities have historically shown extraordinary merrit in our military, but does equal representation not really matter to you?
 
I never claimed the service academies did. I said that if you started evaluating race in candidates then you are lowering the standards because you are giving race a value giving advantages certain people.

We are a melting pot, and a melting pot is melted together. Not divided among races. If there isn't diversity in a specific field it's for a reason. Everyone should be given equal opportunity. Nobody should receive an advantage for something such as race (which is what you're doing if you try to achieve diversity at the admissions level).

Instead you could just advertice more to minorities and target them by encouraging them to apply.


Americas Finest, I am Filipino, I speak 5 languages including English, but yet I agree with your point of erradicating race as a determinant of an applicant's fate. There is a double standard beginning to find its legs at USNA, but shamefully, American society has embraced this double standard. It may be history that influences the ideals of society today, (i.e. blacks-slavery, native americans-wiped out, hispanics-deportation). But I saw this double standard as I had been beaten out of an internship by a friend of mine who was black and had nowhere near a good application and items as mine (I applied with him and saw all the things he put down). Also, the various state programs we have in my home state are pursuant of solely Hispanic and Afro-american volunteers, these are the types of involvements that are to help enrich my application to USNA, but this double standard has taken it away.

Merit is more important than race. In my case, I work hard and pursue appointment to USNA thinking as if I am not a minority, as if I am just another American trying to bolster his/her chances at appointment by getting the top class ranking, by getting the great SAT/ACT scores, by being heavily involved in ECAs. Affirmative action is a primitive and flawful principle, its effects have distorted society today.
 
equal oppurtunity. hmm, so you think that all races and ethnicities in this country were given equal oppurtunity from birth then? do you think b/c we are 'all american's' or whatever that everyone whether white, black, asian, hispanic, male or female historically and currently faced the same odds of success?

do you not think its a worthy ideal that enlisted soldiers should be represented by officers of similar background, or is 'an american' background all the same? what about the american public? forget the whole "merrit" issue because that's not a debatable question, minorities have historically shown extraordinary merrit in our military, but does equal representation not really matter to you?

What are you trying to debate if you know merits are what matter and know the minorities have the capacity to meet standards like everyone else?

You say not everyone had the same opportunity before. While this is true, race does not determine that. You could be a poor white boy just as much as you can be a poor minority.

We keep talking about this representation. If there was a black officer do all black people feel he represents the "black team" or something? I don't see how races need representations.

We do not have a "black senate" to represent african americans in states. We have one senate that represents the whole state of AMERICANS. Those 2 people represent as much as 30 million (California). Yet the number of races in the states in greater than two. How does this work so well? Because races aren't separate.

A black officer does not represent his men any more than a white one does. A black 2LT represents his PLATOON not just the black soldiers in his platoon. Get my point? Race isn't an issue.

Were do you draw the line? Should we also try to aim to let more Muslims in seeing as we need officers to represent the muslim enlisted? Should we stop requiring a bachelors degree in officers to allow some officers to represent some of the less educated enlisted? Sounds crazy right? Because as I said before, we are not divided into racial teams that require representation or a spokesperson or an ambassador.
 
do you not think its a worthy ideal that enlisted soldiers should be represented by officers of similar background said:
Yes it is, but at what cost ? Its not as if we must choose between having minorities in leadership positions or have competant leaders who reached that status by the same standards. By holding minorities (which i am myself) to equal standards the Academy or even the Navy in general isnt stopping any minority that earns his or her position from getting it. It is not as if the Navy says oh you cant be an officer because youre not white.
 
As a minority and a future midshipman and officer, I think it is very important to have a diverse officer corps as well as enlisted force. It is good for minority candidates to know that they can be an officer, not just a cook or steward or some other enlisted occupation. Also I find it very insulting that people think that just because I am a minority that I will automatically get in; while that has something to do with it, I am also very qualified for admission by the standard. You shouldn't make assumptions like that.
Also, if what you are saying is true, then how is it that slavery occured? If we are all Americans, why are we all not given the same opportunities? The academies are simply trying to open their doors to minorities.
 
As a minority and a future midshipman and officer, I think it is very important to have a diverse officer corps as well as enlisted force. It is good for minority candidates to know that they can be an officer, not just a cook or steward or some other enlisted occupation. Also I find it very insulting that people think that just because I am a minority that I will automatically get in; while that has something to do with it, I am also very qualified for admission by the standard. You shouldn't make assumptions like that.
Also, if what you are saying is true, then how is it that slavery occured? If we are all Americans, why are we all not given the same opportunities? The academies are simply trying to open their doors to minorities.

Because slaves weren't considered American by the time's laws.
 
The military's purpose is not to "reflect" anything. Its purpose is to do whatever it takes to defend our nation. Black, white, or anything in between shouldn't matter as long as they are the best. Their job is to protect everyone's (black, white hispanic) rights not be everyone. If we could use an army of robots we would do it, but robots don't "reflect" the population of the country (uh oh!!!).
 
Oh, come now. Then what about the era from reconstruction until the Civil Rights Movement? Don't tell me that we were not citizens then.
 
Oh, come now. Then what about the era from reconstruction until the Civil Rights Movement? Don't tell me that we were not citizens then.

It was a transition. The same thing happened to women and their rights. But that was in the past and now although racism still exist that time is over. Are you suggesting that you are owed something because of the past?
 
Oh, come now. Then what about the era from reconstruction until the Civil Rights Movement? Don't tell me that we were not citizens then.

Depends on which race you are talking about, blacks at that time were considered citizens under the 14th amendment but faced social discrimination in the south and were allowed to migrate to the more friendlier urban settings of the North to find jobs. Hispanics faced repression, mainly those from Mexico, as they attempted to move into Texas at that time, but yet only their children received American citizenship if they were lucky enough to be born in the US due to the 14th amendment. Asians, who had built the railroads and were the largest source of cheap labor in the late 19th/ early 20th centuries did not have the 14th amendment extended to them, therefore they were not citizens, and they were discriminated against and murdered by many American Nativists.
 
no he is not saying he is owed something but, a person's past can have a reflect on the future. This can be seen in america as a lot minorities represented in the government and having so many minorities live in poverty. Just because that time is over doesnt mean everything is alright in america
 
no he is not saying he is owed something but, a person's past can have a reflect on the future. This can be seen in america as a lot minorities represented in the government and having so many minorities live in poverty. Just because that time is over doesnt mean everything is alright in america

The events he is talking about happened before he was born. Some minorities live in poverty but so do some whites. Why do we have to refer to the less fortunate by race?
 
no he is not saying he is owed something but, a person's past can have a reflect on the future. This can be seen in america as a lot minorities represented in the government and having so many minorities live in poverty. Just because that time is over doesnt mean everything is alright in america

Many applicants today were probably not alive during that time in history, or they would be over the age limit for application to the SA. Therefore a "person's past" which in your allusion are the crucibles of one's ancestors due to their racial heritage has little effect on their future. And that little effect only applies to descendants of Native Americans, as they receive yearly checks from the government. Each individual no matter what their race can possibly be anything they aspire if they put themselves in the position to do so.

Those poor minorities, especially the American citizens, are the way they are because of the decisions they have made or how hard they chose to work for it. Any of those poor minorities could pursue appointment to a SA, or Ivy league school if they choose to go on the straight path towards it.
 
i know the events happened before he was born but those events had a profound effect on the future for minorities. there are whites in poverty but there are more minorities in poverty.
 
All americans arent given the same opportunities and every person in america is not equal. You cannot tell me that a person born with a silver spoon in their mouth has the same opportunity as a person born in the ghetto. A rich kid has the opportunity to go to any school he wants to a poor kid does not have the money nor the resources.
 
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