You live if fairytale land, old man. I was born after Affirmative Action was in full force. I have never worked a job in which I knew someone when I started, much less been hired by someone I knew. I have never had any say in any employment decision effecting someone else, i.e. hiring, firing, promoting, interviewing. Please explain to me how I am "more than willing to support institutionalized discrimination."
Oh, I forgot. All heterosexual white males are villains.
Well, no wonder you are blaming affirmative action then, instead of the good ole boy network. You might have benefited because of your gender and skin color, especially for positions where a network wasn't nominating a candidate.
So you had no one write letters of recommendation, or needed to provide professional/personal references.