Qafus, that was a great explanation. Now there are students out there that will argue until the end about AA because they have been fed with a silver spoon all their lives. Let me tell you a story about myself.
My mom came to America at an age of 20, after experiencing a war which she almost died (don't want to elaborate). In addition, she had me when she was also 20 years of age. With no money, no education, no nothing she couldn't take care of me. At that time (1982) abortion was a proceducure to consider in that situation. However, she decided to send me to Africa to live with my grandma, while a civil war was going on. My life in Africa (now looking back) was horrible because sometimes I would go without days without eating but back then I didn't realize it. I had a certain disease but there were no good health care in Liberia where I lived. I mean there were M.D.s' looking in a surgery book while doing surgey, thats how bad it was in Liberia. Even though I was 7 years old, I still remebered seeing people getting decapitated and slain. With the war going on I didn't even go to school because it was so dangerous. Consequetly, my life as well as my grandma's life was threatened. My mom decided to sent for me and my grandma; however, we almost got killed (had to travel secretly to escape) because there were soldiers all over.
I came back to America where I was born, seeing my mom for the first time, well I was with her till 2 months before she sent me to Africa. To make a long story short, I came to this country no better then in Africa minus the war. I didn't know how to read or write at an age of 8~9 years old. So I had to start everything over again, therefore I got sent back to the 1st grade. At an age of 9 years old and in the 1st grade was quite embarrassing. My 1st grade teacher held a conference and told my mom that I was ******ed but my mom refused to put me in a special class. I didn't know what was wrong with me but I told my mom that I never learned how to read or write. However, for some reason (and without really nobody's help) I got more determined in proving my 1st grade teacher wrong. So I decided that I needed to read and write in order to prove her wrong, not only that but to beat my competition (the other kids in my classroom). My mom (being single) was poor and didn't have that much money to support me with books, so I learned how to read by going to class extra and at the library checking out every book (learned how to read little by little). In about six months, not only did I learn how to read but I started getting top honors and awards before I was 10. I didn't stop there but I thought that I was too old to be in my second grade class, therefore I took a test to skip me; I skipped the third grade. I kept on excelling despite the fact that nobody really cared around me about academics. I learned at an early age that my people (African Americans) don't really value education, so they tried to impose it on me. Despite all the negative peer pressure to do mediocre in the classroom, I founded pleasure in making good grades. When I was in the sixth grade I wanted to take a test to skip me again so I can be a year ahead of my classmates, everybody objected to the fact that I was going to fast and needed to slow down. But that same determination that got me where I was didn't allow me to settle for anything less then greatness. So I went ahead and took the test to skip the seventh grade and passed it. In addition, I received many acadamic achievement for my perserverance. Some of my teachers said that I was an over achiever and tenacious. My father didn't want me to go into medicine because he wanted me to play football (I was pretty good), and my mom didn't think that I was making the right decision to go into medicine. I am totally getting what Qafus say because if your parents arent educated (both parents had high education, and settled) they aren't going to push( my mom/dad never push me to excelled) their kids. To make a long story short I was 4th in my class in overall gpa but because my mom is single and needed help because we don't have any family where we live, I decided not to go to the university that I wanted.
There were many major obstacles (I lived in the ghetto, went to bad schools but I decided to take my education into my own hands; because i realized that only I will suffer the consequences of my education, no one else) that I had to overcome to where I am right now, and I am certain others had been through worse. However, many African-Americans (speaking from my perspective) go through the same thing or worse and you can't expect every African American to have strong determination when soceity constatly shows us that to be successful, you have to become a athlete. That is why you see so many of us falling by the waste side. If AA wasn't implemented then things will go worse. Now I believe (I am a African American) that AA isn't fair sometimes but that is the only thing right now that is going to help us. Not all african american are lazy because I feel that I HAVE to work twice as harder then my competitors to get the same things. Try working full time, helping support your mom and little sister, paying bills, taking a full load of pre med classes (3 sciences w/ labs), and worrying about how many extracurrilars activities you need to be in, in addition to making good grades. You tell me are you able to do ALL that while trying to make above a 3.5 gpa and 30> MCAT? You all haven't walked a mile in all these people (not only African American but people who go through the same thing I go through) shoes. I am sorry that I can't make a 4.0 or a 40 MCAT while doing everything else while your parents pay your way and and you don't have to work 30~35 hours to support yourself and your mom, I may be less qualified then you are but placed in the same situation as you all that are spoon fed, w/ the determination that some African Americans have, I think that we would be more qualified that our competitors. So you all posting on this board saying that AA is unfair, then do something about it to help others, considering you do want to help people. Is it fair that one group gets better medical help then others because of their skin color and the other color gets better treatment because of their. If we get more URM to help with their people, then that URM doctor will be looked upon and that will build up the confidence of some of us, which will be bettering soceity. Look I love all kinds of people but in the real world some people don't like me because I am African American. So lets stop complaining and start helping.
Raptor
Super Saiyan 3