NEWSPEAK: "Affirmative action"

ORIGINAL MEANING: A firm, positive action

NEW MEANING: Preferential treatment for a particular minority group.

Both words "affirmative" and "action" sound very positive. The question is what one wants to affirm.

This phrase is now used by governments to make sure that none of the usual vocal groups will complain, such as women activists, poverty activists, gay activists, etc.

Sometimes this "affirmative action" is as ridiculous as it is redundant.

For example, the McGuinty government directed Elections Ontario (through the Ministry of Democratic Renewal) to form a Citizen Assembly by picking random names, one from each of the 103 (old) ridings in Ontario. It also directed them to make sure that there would be 51 women and 50 men (plus the Chair).

Now, is this process random, or is it an imposition of an equal quota of men and women? It cannot be both, can it? 

In addition, if the process is really random, since the population of women vs. men is approximately 51% vs. 49%, would not a random process have given very similar results anyway?

And, why on earth did they pick women? What about color or race? Is someone going to complain because there are only so many Italians, or so many lawyers, or gays, or young people, or seniors, or whatever?

If you are a woman would you not be insulted if they told you that the system of election would turn out to be different if women, instead of men, chose it? Do women have a different view of democracy?

Here we have "imposed stupidity", even more than "affirmative action".