In recent decades, preferential treatment and racial quotas have been revived in the name of affirmative action, but affirmative action looks back on past injustice and claims to remedy it, which means that at some point affirmative action will end. As legal attacks on affirmative action mounted, the idea of diversity came into vogue. This looks forward and says there always will be a need for preferential treatment and quotas, in the name of making a better school, business, culture, etc.

Rather than have individuals evaluated on their merits, diversity favors evaluation based on the racial or ethnic group to which one belongs. The term “Hispanic” clearly doesn’t describe common social background, and it doesn’t, for that matter, describe gross physical appearance. Some ‘Hispanics’ look like Europeans, some show Native-American ancestry, some have African features.

Such group identities may seem real enough to politicians trolling for votes and marketers looking for regularities in consumer behavior, but in fact they are shadowy formulations and deeply at odds with our cultural imperative to treat individuals as individuals, regardless of their ethnic backgrounds.

I believe diversity is a shell game which involves exploiting comparatively minor differences among people. I also believe people have far more important similarities than differences, such as a work ethic, a desire for liberty and opportunity.

Diversity divides us. I would rather see unity. We must stop hyphenating (African-Aroericany Asian-American, Mexican-American, etc.) You are either an American or you are not.

All you have to do is follow the money trail. People pushing diversity would not be pushing this if it wasn’t for state and federal grants and foundation money.

Regardless of who you are, we will either swim together or drown together as a nation.

Paul Westrum

Albert Lea