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The people you say receive the aid because of their skin color also were the ones that receives specific maltreatment because of their skin color. Why ignore that? Affirmative action is a direct response to America's historical abuse and mistreatment of some minorities. American people deliberately and willfully set back the progress and social status of blacks (and others) through slavery, segregation, oppression, violence, disenfranchisement and beyond.
It is like providing a head start to a runner that was forcefully required to start the race a quarter of the track behind. Sure, he gets some extra time to run, but will it matter?
Or if you prefer, it's like having black people stand at the bottom of the social staircase and told to start climbing 200 years after white people started. I think it might be okay to let them press the button for an elevator that may or may not come.
