Affirmative Action from the Other Side of the Fence
In the late 1970s my father was a young police officer in his hometown in New England. He is white and grew up solidly lower middle class. His father passed away from a sudden heart attack. He choose this time to seek a new start. He started applying to big name police departments all over the country.
He got a call back from Las Vegas. He flew out for a series of interviews. Las Vegas then told him that he was hired. The Human Resources Department had him sign all the paperwork, he got on the payroll, opened a bank account, set up direct deposit and everything else a new hire has to do.
Then the HR department gave him two weeks to go back home, pack up and move to Las Vegas.
He arrived home, informed his friends and family and began closing his accounts, quitting his job and getting rid of his belongings. My dad rented a trailer, and hitched it to his car. Packed whatever he could fit into it. He was scheduled to leave the next day. About 7pm that night (Eastern Time) the phone rings. Its The Las Vegas Human Resources Department. They were calling to let him that he was getting laid off before every working a day.
Since he had developed a bit of a friendship with the guy at HR; he asked why he wasn’t getting the job. The HR guy told him (off the record) that his position was being given to a woman of color to increase their diversity in the department. He had developed a friendship with one of the Las Vegas officers as well, so he called as soon as he hung up the phone. His Police officer friend told him that the woman they hired in his place was the only woman of color to apply so she got in based on that and that all of her scores were much lower than my dad’s. Based on merit, my dad was the better candidate. She was significantly less proficient with firearms and hand to hand combat. Her knowledge of the law was significantly less as well.
My dad got rehired at the previous department he was working at in his hometown and moved on with his life.
10 Days later he gets a call from the Las Vegas Human Resources Department.
His HR buddy tells him: “hey we have another opening; C’mon down for another interview.”
My dad replies “What!?!? You think I live next door? No way!”
As soon as he hangs up the phone he calls his Vegas Cop buddy and asks what happened.
The Vegas officer tells him that the lady that took his spot was killed in the line of duty the day before directly because of her inexperience. She was apparently shot and killed instantly.
My dad never told me the full story until we were at a wedding neither one of us wanted to be at. My dad got a little drunk and for reasons unknown to me; told me this story.
At the end he looked at me and said “I don’t really give a damn what color or gender anyone is but if they’re going wear a badge; they’d better be wearing it for the right reasons. Not because someone gave them a pass due to their skin color or what’s between their legs or any other reason.”
I understand the purpose of affirmative action and that its supposed to give equally qualified people that fall into the minority, a leg up. But if they are not equally qualified in positions like law enforcement where a misstep could cost someone their life… they should not be given the job.
