--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That is one of the reasons I oppose this…" description: "\"That is one of the reasons I oppose this whole Affirmative Action business. We are not supposed to be judged based on what our ancestors did or suffere..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2f/alan-keyes-7078_able_that-is-one-of-the-reasons-i-oppose-this_1107792.jpg" --- # That is one of the reasons I oppose this whole Affirmative… ![“That is one of the reasons I oppose this whole Affirmative Action business. We are not supposed to be judged based on what our ancestors did or suffered. We are supposed to be judged as individuals, based on what we are able to achieve.” quote by Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2f/alan-keyes-7078_able_that-is-one-of-the-reasons-i-oppose-this_1107792.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2f/alan-keyes-7078_able_that-is-one-of-the-reasons-i-oppose-this_1107792.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2f/alan-keyes-7078_able_that-is-one-of-the-reasons-i-oppose-this_1107792.jpg) > “That is one of the reasons I oppose this whole Affirmative Action business. We are not supposed to be judged based on what our ancestors did or suffered. We are supposed to be judged as individuals, based on what we are able to achieve.” [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates judging individuals by personal merit rather than ancestral history. **In simple terms:** Judge people by their own achievements. Key Takeaway Focus on individual merit. Themes equality individualism fairness Mood reflective serious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - Hiring decisions - college admissions - policy debates - personal evaluations Key Concepts Meritocracy social justice Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance individual merit with historical context? - What policies ensure fairness for all? A Different Perspective May overlook systemic inequities affecting opportunity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/) [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Affirmative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affirmative/) [Affirmative action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affirmative-action/) [Ancestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) [Ancestors Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestors-did-241545/) [Based Ancestors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/based-ancestors-2936625/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Judged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judged/) [Judged Individuals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judged-individuals-2197012/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Reasons Oppose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasons-oppose-1137580/) [Supposed to be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supposed-to-be/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [Preferential affirmative action patronizes American blacks, women, and others by presuming that they cannot succeed on their own. Preferential affirmative action does not advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/preferential-affirmative-action-patronizes-american-blacks-women-and/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [And when you tell me that somebody's skin color or gender is going to determine their prospects in this world, that is turning the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/and-when-you-tell-me-that-somebody-s-skin-color-or-gender-is-going-to/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [I read American sagas (of the west) and I do not see people who went in search of material things. I see people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/i-read-american-sagas-of-the-west-and-i-do-not-see-people-who-went-in/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [There are several reasons to oppose tax increases. First, every dollar of tax increase is a dollar you didn't get in spending restraint. 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But if a Negro did something stupid or wrong, it was held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-elizabeth-delany/it-always-seemed-to-me-that-white-people-were-judged-as-individuals/) [Annie Elizabeth Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-elizabeth-delany/) > [Opinion polls consistently show that only about 5 percent of blacks have sensible political opinions, i.e. support the free market, individual liberty and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/opinion-polls-consistently-show-that-only-about-5-percent-of-blacks/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Affirmative action has a negative effect on our society when it means counting us like so many beans and dividing us into separate piles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/affirmative-action-has-a-negative-effect-on-our-society-when-it-means/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [The purpose of affirmative action is to give our nation a way to finally address the systemic exclusion of individuals of talent on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/the-purpose-of-affirmative-action-is-to-give-our-nation-a-way-to/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [If Barack Obama believes there are no victims in U.S, then I assume he'll shut down all the civil rights offices throughout the federal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/if-barack-obama-believes-there-are-no-victims-in-u-s-then-i-assume-he/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Who knows what Yale thought it was getting when it hired Richard Rodriguez? The people who offered me the job thought there was nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/who-knows-what-yale-thought-it-was-getting-when-it-hired-richard/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [My decision was sparked by affirmative action. 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Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) ## More by Alan Keyes > [A nation of character is filled with citizens who gradually build lives based on the living awareness that their deeds are judged by eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/a-nation-of-character-is-filled-with-citizens-who-gradually-build/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [Selfish hedonism is not a pejorative. It is a description - an exactly accurate description of what is involved in homosexual relations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/selfish-hedonism-is-not-a-pejorative-it-is-a-description-an-exactly/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [I read American sagas (of the west) and I do not see people who went in search of material things. 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