== Neutral POV??  "No Original Research"?? == 

  
 Now whatever do these "policies" mean?  How can *ANYONE* have a neutral POV about such a charged political topic?  Every human being in the USA is either benefited or harmed by the group of Government and NGO policies lumped together as "Affirmative Action".  How can you be neutral about being helped by some policy?  How can be neutral when you are being discriminated against?  This is silly.  Also, this is a controversy, not a piece of fruit.   

 "No original research" implies an ex cathedra approach to the subject.  "Authorities" have done all that research, of course without bias, and without financial support from organizations with interests both financial and social in the results.  Of course let's quote them.  Close the book, ring the bell, put out the candle.   

 The fact is that the subject is controversial, as are most Government policies systematically favoring one race over another, one sex over another, one ethnic group over another.  The fact is that the difference between Government enforced discrimination and "Affirmative Action" is that in the first case you like the group being discriminated against, and in the second you do not.  Bald but true.  The rest is hand waving.  In both cases the fact is that the characteristics of the individual people involved are irrelevant and what is important is the group they were born into.