This letter is in response to the letter “Affirmative action overlooks factors ” (SN 2/18).

It is obvious everyone is not going to agree on the topic of affirmative action and probably never will. But people do need to understand why a program like it is necessary.

Many people seem to have a problem with race being a high priority, but nobody complains about the fact that women - better yet white women - are the ones who benefit the most from affirmative action, and this is a proven fact.

It is true that something should be done to alter the system of affirmative action, but dismissing it all together does a lot more harm than good.

So many people argue that people should be accepted or hired based on their skill level, but does anyone attack a system that keeps many minorities at a disadvantage in the school systems, job market and housing market?

Yes, we want to believe the laws are colorblind, but the people who enforce these laws are not.

Before we attack the ills of affirmative action we need to attack the system that makes this program necessary.

Arica Ferby
social relations junior