I have to hope Stoner Shadow Wolf was referring to real qualifications, too, but only he can answer that and I don't really think most people could give a real, honest answer on this topic because it's a potential racial minefield to give anything other than a standard "I'm unbiased" answer.

DaBudha, THCBongman's not supporting one race over another because of quotas as a result of past injustices. He's aware of the very real injustices and inequalities that still exist in hiring practices and the job market. They still do. He's worked a lot more closely to the HR process than most people and has had in depth training in this topic, which is an eye-opener.

I don't know what I think about affirmative action, to be honest. I certainly believe in equal opportunity employment for all and think folks ought to be hired based on qualifications. I interviewed and hired people for a long time when I was working professionally, and the training we received on skills-based interviewing and non-discriminatory hiring practices has made me think long and hard about biases that exist almost unconsciously in hiring decisions (and in school admittance decisions, too). I do know this. Racial attitudes haven't come as far as they need to, and whether everyone admits it or not, surveys about hiring and racial bias consistently prove that.

I agree with P4B. This thread has taken a heated turn and seems to be threatening to devolve into an ugly-fest, which is too bad. It's an important discussion. If we have to, we'll close it up to pre-empt any more ugliness. Hope we don't have to do that, however.