People need to warm up. It takes some time before people feel comfortable enough to share their views on such delicate subjects as affirmative action with strangers, particularly in a racially-integrated group. An initial barrier of discomfort has to be overcome. But people willing to commit themselves to the situation quickly establish bona fide attitudes of basic decency and soon create an atmosphere of mutual respect. People often initially assume the worst about the other side.
Dialogue can increase respect for opposing views.
Although it' s rare to see someone change positions on an emotional and high-profile issue like affirmative action, what does frequently change is the perception people have of those who disagree with them. Ideological liberals and conservatives typically blame race-relations problems on, respectively, the majority's racism or irresponsible behavior by minorities. We agree that it's unlikely that dialogue can neutralize hardcore racism or reform destructive behavior. But America's race-relations problem is much more complicated than the ideologues would have us believe. Even if every single American woke up tomorrow committed to the principles of racial equality and personal responsibility, we'd still have debates inseparable from race on issues like affirmative action, economic inequality and immigration.