The latest derisive insult in the lexicon of the small-minded is diversity. It is the capital D in the acronym for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Diversity means variety and, in this context, it references the social and ethnic backgrounds of a people including gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, race, and physical ability. For a nation founded upon a veritable smorgasbord of peoples from around the world, finding disgust with those who are not exactly like certain small-minded groups is deplorable.
In diversity there is strength. While iron is a dense metal, it is made stronger and more useful when heated and we add Carbon, Manganese, Chromium, Nickel, Molybdenum, Titanium, and Boron. Then it becomes high-tensile steel. While iron has a yield strength of around 7,000 psi, steel is closer to 50,000 psi. It is stronger by a factor of seven. Likewise, the diversity of our nation is at the core of its strength.
We are a nation of micks, guineas, spicks, chinks, dagos, frogs, etc., who were added to the great melting pot to create the human steel of America. Unless you can trace your roots in North America back 40,000 years, you are a descendant of immigrants who were added to the original mix. Within each individual member of any group lies a heterogeneity that may blur typical identifiers of social convention.
Beyond the constructs of ethnicity, we find all the other factors commonly used to differentiate people. Religion, wealth, class, occupation, education, sexual orientation, personal interests, etc., may influence who we accept or reject as friends.
While we should relish this diversity because it makes life less boring and adds to our strength, certain members of our society will try to use the hatred of identifiable groups, often in the minority, as a means of motivation for their selfish advancement. Name-calling is the last bastion of the bigot. When you have no other foundation for your argument, use fear and hatred of others as justification.
Diversity is now being used in a derogatory manner by the small-minded. This is a sign of a weak position. Such individuals will use the DEI acronym in a negative context without further explanation. It will, after many repetitions, carry that negative context without challenge by the myopic cult who will embrace it. They don’t want to know anything beyond the fact that diversity is now evil.
The evil in diversity is said to be in its enforcement. Proponents of this concept will claim that diversity is being forced upon us by a government out of control. As caring human beings, diversity shouldn’t have to be forced. It should be how we think as a society. Many of those vilifying diversity also claim to be Christians, a religion that is founded upon accepting diversity and love for our fellow man. I suspect that Christianity for those upset by diversity, is more of a concept to be used when convenient, but not when it conflicts with their bigotry.
I don’t need to identify by name or political affiliation those of whom I speak. People who would use such tactics already know what they are doing and will continue doing so with the rationale that the ends justify the means. For them, dividing our nation is how they will weaken it so they might take advantage of that weakness. They use it to facilitate their rise to power. The rest of us need to call them out and use the power of our democracy, as much of it as we have left, to keep them from their goal.
We are stronger as a nation when we are united. When we embrace our diversity, we become the American steel that will survive the challenges of the twenty-first century. United we stand.
