Affirmative Action

[NightskyeB4Dawn]

Affirmative action is a double edged sword. When my kids were babies I was working at a Mobil Oil refinery flagging dump trucks. I was doing double duty because my work partner (a black man who was hired due to affirmative action) spent all day every day between the air conditioned guard shack and the port-a-john- and was being paid more than I was. I had to flag dump trucks across a busy main road and across a dangerous set of railroad tracks and had to cover 4 sets of gates on either side of the road for 12 hours a day in the hot SE Texas sun while he sat in the ac bullshitting with the guard. It would have been a much easier job had he done his part or if they would have fired him and got somebody else to do his job- but no, affirmative action wouldn't let them. I couldn't even take a lunch break because of that guy and ate on my feet doing my job to keep the truckers safe in a very unsafe situation. And yet.... the only reason that I as a woman had that job was ALSO because of affirmative action. They had to employ certain percentages of minorities AND females to comply with it.

At least the truckers and their wives appreciated my efforts. I received every sort of delicious homemade goodie you can imagine, cool hats, bandanas and such, even a stuffed bear holding a "Thank you!" heart from one of the trucker's wives. Trucker families are awesome!

So while I despise affirmative action because of those who use it to get paid for doing nothing and don't get fired I also loved it for giving me a job that paid enough to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table and pay for a sitter in a time when the ONLY way to get in was because of affirmative action and quotas. Like I said, a double edged sword. 

I can definitely relate.

Like you, being a female meant that I had to over prove my capability, and I had to do three times the amount of work than my male counterparts, quicker, and better.

I never asked for more. I just asked for an opportunity. I just wanted a chance. Even though nothing about my situations were ever equal, I was still treated as if they were doing me a favor.

If you are blessed with never being last in line regardless of how much you qualify, I can easily see how me being moved up a few notches would seem unfair and would breed animosity. Like I said, all I wanted was a chance to show my capability.

For those that get an opportunity and abuse the chance they are given, even when the playing field will never be level, I can't speak about that, because I don't know what is behind it. I can only share my experiences.

For me affirmative action was not a easy ride up the ladder. I had to fight tooth and nail for every rung.