Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a dangerous trend that has only led to a more divided and declining society. You may be asking why that is; you must understand the underlying nature of it. First off, we are making it a forced issue. We are inundated with it every day, from school to work. Companies are making it a guided value and schools are changing their admission criteria to adapt to this trend.

For example, you may be out of luck if you are a highly educated white male. Bias is what you must call it because unless you are a minority, you are privileged. How inclusive is that? I came from humble beginnings and worked hard to get where I am. I treasure my journey and never looked at what other people had; I just looked at what I knew I was capable of. I’ve faced a lot of adversity, but that is what made me who I am today. Plus, I live in a town that is predominantly Caucasian and we have a lot of poverty. So, just because you are not of color doesn’t mean you are excluded from that list. What about them? How are they supposed to overcome their circumstances in this equation?  

I was baffled when Kamala Harris was given praise when she became the first female Vice President. Wouldn’t you rather be known to get that job based on skills rather than gender or race? When checking the box to ensure we have applied diversity, what do you think you are capturing at the end of the day? I remember sitting on a board and we wanted to recruit a black female. She responded, “Please don’t be recruiting me for my race and gender. I have much more to offer you than that.”   It caught me because I realized how offensive this concept is.

You see, motivational theories are being tested with this philosophy. What would drive you if you were not hired or admitted to a school based on your credentials? Look at what the medical schools are doing.   They are dropping the MCAT score for minorities, so they have a chance to go to Medical School. To me, this is an insult. Who says you can’t achieve what others can? Plus, this concept could negatively impact healthcare and the medical profession. Right now, schools are even ditching the test altogether to increase diversity. At this rate, you may as well let anyone in. Why in the world would you admit based on race versus merit? We have a shortage of doctors and need to recruit the right individuals. This exam has been tested to weed out those who can’t withstand the rigid curriculum required to become a physician. 

So, why bother if no one cares what you can bring?  Accomplishments are becoming worthless because promoting people based on physical attributes/quotas removes the drive to achieve.  Greatness will be less attainable, and no one will be incentivized to improve.   You will eventually lose access to talented individuals.

Think about it; you are creating a socialist society. When everyone is labeled the same, there is no incentive to improve or a chance to either. We have so many examples of this around the world. These countries are not thriving, and poverty is even more robust. The American dream doesn’t exist as opportunities are scarce. We have a border crisis as individuals flee these destitute areas for a better life. So why are we cultivating these dangerous ideas? Do we want people controlled by the government? People are scared to speak up as they will be called racist. I’m not racist; I want people to flourish. I believe everyone can achieve the best version of themselves. God gave everyone talents; it’s our responsibility to figure that out and leverage it. 

DEI is not the way to fix racism. We have pockets of racism in this country; however, I don’t think it is a systemic issue. DEI is a grave notion that you can’t succeed if you are a person of color. Why would you want to believe that – maybe to suppress them further? DEI is discriminatory; it highlights physical attributes rather than capabilities, decreases performance, and is divisive. Tom Scott said it the best, “I’m not the exception; I’m exactly the rule.”