I don’t think giving disadvantaged people a ‘nudge’ or even a hand up is bad either. What is bad is the federal government dictating and mandating(especially in private industry) that it be done and that it be done for only one or two groups of people baised on the color of their skin or their gender.
In fact, it is the ultimate form of rascism and bigotry to assume that because you are black or female, that you are somehow disavantaged on that basis alone. Notice too, that this mandate is not protecting minorities in general or else it would have just said ‘minorities’. It didn’t. It said blacks. What about hispanics, asians, indians or all of the other racial minorities in this country?
Women are not disadvantaged in this country nor are they a minority(I don’t think)...so why are they included for this special treatment under the law?
Equal Opportunity Under The Law should mean just that...EQUAL OPPORTUNITY...not special treatment.
If they are not getting a large number of any particular type of applicant, I don’t think it’s a problem to ask for more of them, so long as there isn’t punishment if they don’t get them.