I find several flaws in the analysis of A.E.B. Kapp's column on affirmative action and her friend Sean's anger on the "unfairness" of his treatment in the job interview. Any career development officer will tell you that the selection of an employee by a company goes well beyond the grade point average, and what is on paper on a resume. An individual in an interview needs to sell themself as someone who is flexible, understanding of human relations, capable of interacting with all types of clients, as well as do the technical job description. "Doing the job" entails much more than two internships and a grade point average. Who is making the judgment that ALL the other candidates (especially if they are women and people of color) are less qualified, and less capable of doing the job?

Instead of directing the blame outwards on the policy of affirmative action being the reason why you are not hired, which is equivalent to placing the blame on the women and minorities who are (of course) "less qualified than you," I suggest that Sean look inward to himself and examine the attitudes he has toward working with people from different communities and with different experiences. If a company is interested in reaching out to different communities, the prospective employee, regardless of color or gender, must have the flexibility to look beyond their own experience. This is the basic challenge to the dominant majority which is something they have perhaps never had to do before. It is something that all people of color or people who are otherwise "different" have to do every day of their life. Who knows? Perhaps that gives women and "minorities" experience that Sean has never even thought to have before.