As i see it there are issues with the way affirmative action is used, there are also issues with how things would be without it. Years ago two equally qualified individuals of different races would not have been seen as equally qualified in the majority of buisinesses. In order to "force" businesses to accept that everyone was equal preferential hiring was established, the unfortunate is that it is basically reverse descrimination, which only further divides the people. IF the affirmative action had not been initialized, i highly doubt that the work force would have become as diversified as it did so quickly.
Personally, i think it should be setup that the most qualified individual should get the job, always. But, that goes deeper than a racial issue to a social economic issue, the schools in poorer districts have to be improved, the college enviornment has to be made accesible (its pretty expensive as we all know), and the businesses have to be fair. Some say that as a business i should be able to hire whoever i want, and if i don't want any minorities, then i shouldn't have to hire them, if i didn't want any white men, then i shouldn't have to hire them either, etc. Well, that might be your right, but as history has stated time and time again, your rights don't mean much once they step on someone else's rights.
in a PERFECT world, people would be hired based solely on their qualifications, and in this perfect world affermative action would only ensure that these individuals are only hired based on their qualifications. But, I don't live in a perfect world, and as a result, have to deal with what works at the moment, or doesn't, and change things accordingly.
-PS
I'm one of the minorities in that class of 39, and the flight experience across the board is so wide (400-2000TT) that i don't think anyone in the class is any more or any less qualified than anyone else.