Shut up! Our fathers were our models for God. If our fathers bailed, what does that tell you about God?
― Quote from the Character Tyler Durden in David Finscher's Fight Club
1 Many conservatives make the case that lack of fæder figures is at the heart of the gang identification problems that black communities face. Conservatives are often also against all types of affirmative action out-of-hand. Many conservatives don't make the connection that AA could be a powerful tool to fix fatherless and male role-model issues ― and instead want to lock up imperfect fathers without consideration of the kids and boys that they leave behind. This I feel is a cognitive disconnect that should be addressed.
2 Affirmative Action’ as a strategy should not be dismissed out-of-hand for being used to push positive changes just out of meritocracy concerns. In the short term maybe some public positions will not be filled by the highest quality candidates, but in the longer term it could repair communities so that they could send candidates that could compete at an equal caliber in the future. Pushing good role models for guys to look up to may keep young men out of violent gangs and prisions. It could push individuals into a positions where they can be inspiring members of a community.
3 If the goals of a strategy is sometimes misaligned does not mean that the strategy itself should be tossed. Affirmative Action with how it is being used now is probably too obsessed with promoting ‘equal power and representation’ as and end-to-itself (power and money by itself doesn't solve anything) over promoting ’noble ethical conduct and behavior’. This does not mean that AA can't change its priorities for the better. There is no reason that AA has to keep its primary focus on power distribution over other goals. AA is a tool that can be used in helpful and unhelpful ways.
4 And on the flip side ’restrictions of reach‘ (as Elon Musk would say) of some types of lifestyles also has its place. I don't think that the mass public promotion and coverage of drugs and sexuality ― pushed by trust fund kids and grad students ― that started in the 1960's and 1970's was independent from the exacerbation of the decline of the black family structure that occurred at around the same time. Music, film, cable news ― non-text media in general ― should feel an obligation not to inappropriately glorify antisocial lifestyles. There is a time-and-a-place for expression and experimentation (universities), but religious conservatives that have been pushing against antisocial mass media since the 60's may be partially correct in their judgement.
