Reply #10: I think you put it very nicely.

[ThomCat]

You can't end discrimination by pretending it doesn't exist.

Opponents of AA insist that discrimination can be ended by simply being scrupulously fair right now in various specific situations. But that ignores that people come to those situations already burdened by the effects of discrimination. So if we make no adjustment to account for that discrimination then we're giving bigots the advantage, because we're saying that we'll quietly keep rewarding the effects of prejudice.

Opponents of AA love to say that white men are being discriminated against. But frequently I see discrimination in our favor. (I'm a white man) Opponents who say AA is wrong because it discriminates are basically saying, "It's wrong to discriminate against people I support, but it's okay to discriminate against people I ignore."