The affirmative action policy may further allow for special training or counseling to benefit members of a disadvantaged group, who may use the extra education to compete effectively with members of the advantaged groups. Whereas the opponents of affirmative action claim that it is injustice to favor a group just because it is considered disadvantaged, proponents of the policy assert that affirmative action is necessary to right the wrongs of the past with respect to discrimination and/or racism (Boylan). In other words, in the absence of affirmative action, discrimination and/or racism may very well continue in almost any if not all spheres of life.