But, the supporters of affirmative action argue that the law is all about outcomes. Non-discrimination is merely a means to an end. The end is the reversal of the pattern of society in which blacks and other protected classes were disproportionally poor. These proponents argue that special steps are necessary to redress historic injustice. They speak of balancing the books between blacks and whites as groups.
Opponents refuse to accept the notion of historic injustice or group rights.
Only individual have rights or commit wrongs they argue. Remedies should be for present victims of present wrongs. Once an academic consideration the debate over affirmative action has grown louder as the system has expanded from narrow confines to larger spheres of public life. Further, it has become more controversial as the list of groups subject to it has been expanded. Most people think race when they think group preference affirmative action.