Why is affirmative action used in the same sentence as civil rights or equal opportunity?

Affirmative action has nothing to do with equality, and it ain't civil. It is an attempt to compensate for prior injustices by creating another. It is blatant reverse discrimination. It is also a system that rewards mediocrity. Asians, who are minority, don't get affirmative action because they study hard and succeed. But if you're black or latino, it's basically ok not to try hard because "you're a victim of establishment". How pathetic must this nation become before people wake up and realize the insanity?