I’m working on a post about “diversity.” In the meantime, check out this oldie but goodie by Walter Williams, Phony Diversity. By the way, have you VOTED today?
Diversity is a big buzzword on college and university campuses. Diversity has fogged and claimed the minds of campus administrators so much so that they’ve created diversity fiefdoms. Harvard University Medical School has an Office for Diversity and Community Partnership. Brown University has a Diversity Institute. UC Berkeley has a Diversity Committee and a Diversity Officer. At George Mason University, where I teach, there’s a Diversity Advisory Board and an Office for Diversity Programs and Services. At most colleges and universities, there’s a diversity or multiculturalism agenda to propagandize students….For the bulk of universities and colleges, diversity means race quotas, sex quotas and programs to insure that representative forms of sexual deviancy become an accepted norm. To insure this politically correct vision of campus life, there’s one form of diversity that can’t be tolerated. That’s ideological and political diversity; there must be uniformity and identity.
Here’s an interesting development: “In the name of diversity, fewer spaces appear to be available for African-American freshmen at historically black colleges and universities. In fact, many of these schools have begun to recruit white students. At least one, Bluefield State College in West Virginia, now has a majority white enrollment,” writes Julianne Malveaux (My emphasis).
Important Update: A leftist blog (Daily Kos) is apparently instructing others on how to cheat in the weblogs contest. Hopefully he and his minions will be disqualified. See Little Green Footballs and Captain’s Quarters for details. Kevin at Wizbang, who’s putting in so much time and effort on the contest, is trying to curb the cheating. He has more here.
If anyone wants to vote for me, please don’t cheat.
Diversity-related Update: Glenn Reynolds posts a blurb from TIME Magazine on Tavis Smiley’s departure from NPR:
New York — President George W. Bush’s cabinet is more diverse than National Public Radio, Tavis Smiley tells TIME in an exclusive interview. “It is ironic that a Republican President has an Administration that is more inclusive and more diverse than a so-called liberal-media-elite network,” Smiley says.
I wonder if Grambling St, Florida A&M, Howard University, Western New Mexico, or UT-Pan American have diversity boards or committees?
My guess is that they to not.
Comment by superdestroyer — 12.05.04 @ 9:00 am
According to diversity dogma, all schools need to have diversity “outreach” programs. As a result, black colleges are recruiting white foreign students because they can’t find enough white Americans who’d want to attend. In some cases, the whites may outnumber blacks at historically black colleges. How ironic.
I’ll dig up the source for this info later today. It was a story in the Washington Times, I think.
Comment by La Shawn — 12.05.04 @ 9:07 am
Hi La Shawn,
I enjoy reading your posts though I don’t get to comment as much as I would like. I agree with the great posts you have here and I am awed (and jealous) at seeing you with the conservative masters like Mr. Williams.
I really look for the day when I do not have to hear so and so was selected for such and such and is the first black/jew/woman/you name it to hold the post. I believe that the color of a person’s skin has nothing to do with the qualification of the job. We all look the same on the inside and all bleed red blood. It is amazing that in a world where we can fly in space, make fast computers, and communicate instantly via the web we use archaic standards such as skin color or religiuos beliefs to qualify a person for a job or spot in school.
I know this was necessary in the past becasue, let’s face it, the country does not have the best track record when it comes to understanding differences. Having said that, we will never have total equality and understanding as long as we continue to espouse the views that quotas and affirmative action are perfectly OK. To me they reinforce the idea that certain groups are not capable of achieving anything without help. This is pure bunk. I grew up in Baltimore City and I spent 24 years in the Army. I have met many quite capable people of all reces and creeds who were some of the best and brightest in the world. I do not look at the physical appearance of a person to judge them, I base it upon their actions.
I know this will take a while but with great people like you and Mr. Williams out there, I hope we can get past this idea of diversity and remember we are all human beings, deserving of respect and compassion and that we are only judged as sinners and repenters by God.
Comment by Big-Dog — 12.05.04 @ 9:17 am
I’ve often wondered if people who claim to like diversity are more concerned about amusing themselves than actually helping people. Most people like variety. We don’t like to eat the same thing all the time, do we? Maybe some people, subconsciously, don’t like to see the same kind of person all of the time. Many have become complacent and frivolous in our country. I have to wonder if ‘diversity’ is a way for them to amuse themselves with a certain kind of eye candy and make themselves proud of themselves at the same time. Big time psycho-babble, I know. Hopefully, it makes sense.
Comment by RepJ — 12.05.04 @ 10:53 am
2005 Weblog Awards: Caution, Cheaters At Work
Honesty, obviously, isn’t a liberal virtue, even among bloggers. The Daily Kos was nominated for Best Overall Blog in the 2004 Weblog Awards (hosted by Wizbang), and posters there (along with posters from Wampum), in their “infinite wisdom,” posted …
Trackback by Ramblings' Journal — 12.05.04 @ 5:22 pm
It is a legitemate theory of security that one should publish exploits, not keep them secret. Ask yourself this, if the liberal blog had not spoken up, would you feel safer?
Comment by actus — 12.05.04 @ 6:08 pm
Actus,
To be honest, the thing that makes it disturbing is the commentary that followed the posting of the exploit. Very few people condemed the action (the people who used the script), and the condemations were in turn condemed.
Go to wampum to see a differnce in pointing out an exploit, versus exploiting one.
Sadly, one or more people did the same for LGF.
They have both had their vote counts reset, and will lose quite a few valid votes while the bogus are purged.
Comment by SCSIwuzzy — 12.05.04 @ 7:42 pm
Smiley:
PBS was a start, but is anybody needs a good dose of diversity, it is NPR lol.
From the press release:
… conceived of a public affairs show for public radio that would build diverse audiences and reflect the interests and perspective of the African American community
NPR is now searching for a full time replacement host.
So, LaShawn, ready to climb this mountain?
Comment by SCSIwuzzy — 12.05.04 @ 7:47 pm
Now that gig might be fun.
But of course I’d include perspectives from “African Americans” of all political ideologies and not just the same old tired liberals pushing the same old tired liberal dogma I’ve been hearing my whole life.
Comment by La Shawn — 12.05.04 @ 7:50 pm
LB,
I’d be curious as to your thoughts on HBCUs. I have a feeling I know what you might say..but then I’m sure you’ll suprise me. It’s been my experience that some black folks who didn’t attend an HBCU don’t have much use for them and would wish them all closed. As an HBCU grad, of course, I don’t feel that way but feel there is a place for everyone to get educated.
I await your thoughts, they are are thought provoking.
Comment by Tiffany in Mpls — 12.05.04 @ 8:43 pm
I’d suspect that La Shawn will blow away whatever accomplishments Tavis may have had. But then again, that’s just my bias showing. LOL
Comment by Andy — 12.05.04 @ 9:19 pm
Do you believe it? Poor Kevin, he worked so hard and the awards were like a gift to the blogosphere. Its annoying.
Comment by Jane — 12.05.04 @ 9:50 pm
Re: Cheaters on the Weblog vote. Something similar happened with the voting on the debates at various news sites. Do I have a touch of paranoia or is it possible that Democrats/liberals are being taken through a process whereby they will not feel it’s wrong to cheat at the election booth?
Comment by Evon Bachaus — 12.05.04 @ 11:23 pm
Well, Evon, saddly, somebody appears to have tried to stuff the ballot box for LGF, claiming to try to offset Kos’ cheating. But, 2 wrongs don’t make a right. Except in boolean logic.
I blogged a touch about this last night, but Instapundit, as usual, has the best clearing house of information. The most disturbing ascpect of it all is the dialogue over at dailykos, where the people who think it is a bad thing are the minority and spit on for dissenting.
Comment by SCSIwuzzy — 12.06.04 @ 7:38 am
SCSIWuzzy, I had to look up Boolean logic. I’m new to this computer stuff. The fact that someone at LGF tried to stuff the “ballot box” now becomes a reason forever why it is ok for liberals to stuff ballot boxes. When Terry McAuliffe called for people to stuff the debate winner ballot boxes of the networks with votes for Kerry, my sister and I wondered if it this was to get people used stuffing ballot boxes and have them think that this was OK.
Comment by Evon Bachaus — 12.06.04 @ 7:54 am
Of course, we have no way of knowing that it wasn’t a Kos-follower who decided to get back at LGF for publicizing the Kos cheaters. How hard would that have been? Stupid cheaters ruined it for Charles, who does really good work on a consistent basis.
Comment by LawWife — 12.06.04 @ 8:27 am
Tavis offered a balanced view point on issues. He also had liberal and conservative commentators.
I’ll miss his show. Because of it, I found out that WEAA had more than just jazz and caribbean music on the station. Now I’m hooked.
But he knew what he was getting into.
Comment by DarkStar — 12.06.04 @ 11:39 pm
Actually, what’s irritating is that, while I don’t care for Tavis’ political leanings, he has done some really good programming and brings a lot of thought to the table. His interview with time was an embarrassment. 10 questions, and one of them was on a Tavis line of clothing? Discussion of ideas, anyone?
KB
Comment by Kyle — 12.09.04 @ 8:45 pm