THE PERVERSITY OF THAT MANTRA FOR…DIVERSITY
(…as the only factor of consideration beyond…quality and merit)

The idiocies of political correctness that permeate our society these days always seem to pop up in the oddest places and strangest ways. In this instance it was a small news item about a local Middle School’s student council election…whose principal was upset at the results of that election because these did not conform to her politically correct views on “diversity.”

It seems, however, that the kids at that school have a better grasp of math and percentages than their adult overlord does because…with a student body that’s 58% Hispanic or Latino…how could the results of that election be otherwise? The kids also had the smarts and integrity to ignore the perversity of that mantra for “diversity” as the only factor of consideration beyond…quality and merit…of those they chose to represent them on that council.

More importantly, they also instinctively understood better than their adult guardians apparently do, that such school events are more a matter of peer-popularity than any kind of significant exercise in the “democratic process”, because student councils are simply adult-approved mechanisms used to cover up the reality that –school- is essentially run as a benign (mostly) dictatorship to provide some form of order and structure in their lives. At that age level of their development kids need and crave such order and structure, especially if it emphasizes and teaches the self-discipline of civility and respect for others rather than just conventional rituals about promoting “democracy” and “diversity.” These are of less importance and relevance to their lives at that moment, which is not to say students’ councils don’t have any value for them, because they do.

For one thing, these are an adult-approved way for them to civilly air and vent their views about issues of one kind or another. For another and more importantly, these are also venues where they can further hone and sharpen their already well-developed skills for manipulating adults, by developing the strategic mindset of delayed gratification, as they maneuver to achieve social and political objectives. A survival skill which will serve them well in the later adult-world they will eventually face.

There is also an irony about such over-emphasis on “diversity” because, knowingly or not, the proponents of it are actually promoting another form of “apartheid” by compartmentalizing everyone into separate, but rarely equal, “communities” and thus voiding our national motto’s ideal of – E Pluribus Unum – (from many…one). It should be noted that the operating word of that motto is not –pluribus- but – unum- or…unity.

Of an even greater irony here is the fact that as a leading proponent of the cult of diversity, the Democratic Party is only offering us two candidate choices for the upcoming presidential elections next year. That is…one old white dude…and one middle-aged white former First Lady. Whereas, the Republican Party, supposedly a non-liberal and non-inclusive coterie of fat-cat one-percenters, is offering us a more diverse array of candidates composed of: an African American, a couple of Hispanics, a woman, along with several of those white fat-car one percenters. Go figure!

Well, perhaps the time has come for us to seriously rethink this business of diversity for diversity’s sake and get back to basics, which is: We’re all Americans first, and something else…second; and, our quality and merit as individuals is all that counts. If we don’t start to abide by and believe in that idea instead, we won’t be able to call ourselves “American” very much longer.

CENTURION