OPED TO THE NY TIMES, April 25, 2013 Definition of diversity(n) bing.com · Bing Dictionary di·ver·si·ty [ di vúrssətee ] variety: a variety of something such as opinion, color, or style social inclusiveness: ethnic variety, as well as socioeconomic and gender variety, in a group, society, or institution THE DIVERSITY CHARADE? In America, a symphony of media voices loudly proclaims the practice of and commitment to diversity, as if the practice is a fait accompli. Emergent voices claim that religious, female, sexual, poor, disabled, and mega societal tolerance and legislation demonstrate this nation’s unquestioned acceptance and practice of diversity in all its forms. Media types supported by academic faculty advocate continued education in the new diversity concept within the educational institutions of America. Since we have returned a minority candidate to the presidency for all to see it seems Martin Luther King’s dream has been achieved, or has it? Let’s begin our treatise with the poor, homeless, and disaffected Americans. Today prisons abound in America with soup kitchens everywhere, some are daily operations and others are holiday oriented. One must ask the question: does the act of filling a man’s stomach yearly by itself replace the longing in each person’s soul of a need for life’s true meaning? How many of the economically destitute among us receive a regular invitation to socialize with mainstream Americans on a consistent basis in their homes, activities or decision making? Sadly, minority youth are unemployed at the highest rate in our society and are often residing in penal institutions that are at the very least expensive and provide poor role models for the incarcerated. How often are community concerns for an individual’s ultimate welfare surfaced in the inner chambers of governmental advocates? In this nation religious tolerance and societal morality are trumpeted to the highest moral plains and spiritual plateaus by journalists with a collection of vocabulary that often provide meaningless prayers and political advice after tragedies. Commentators join clergy in scurrilously reminding hearers, “you’re in our prayers, we are praying for you… (unless you are a Roman Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Atheist, Agnostic, Jew, Mormon, etc”). Corporate boards choose the finest trustees from the best Academies often with the largest financial profile they can substantiate. Yet one is hard pressed to discover true diversity or moral greatness functioning in this corporate ethos. Are religious, cultural, and economic differences reflected in the configuration of your favorite corporate panoply of boardroom participants? Academic institutions must be questioned when it comes to involving philosophical diversity in configurations of faculty. Liberalism is flourishing strongly today since many mainline academic institutions seem to purposely ignore conservative corollary professors to present and give an alternative view a chance to be taught to knowledge thirsty students. The training of newly minted faculty tends to come from empty bland educational incubators that have eliminated variety in hiring and promotion. Seminars are often narrowed at some universities to avoid controversy and breadth in principle formulation and discussion. If we seek true, American, political, educational, sociological mixes that are truly diverse, we must do the following things in our approach. Make a list of all religious groups in America and poll each as to the challenge of promoting inclusion from their perspective. Configure a list of major corporate boards and their trustees as to how they are selected, continued, and rewarded for their service. Also ask for board membership criteria and the level of personal decision making involvement of each trustee. Ask for a rank order list of impediments to greater corporate leader inclusion in corporate decision making. Survey Congressional leadership as to past, present or current efforts toward removing barriers to inclusion of any excluded groups who are presently denied involvement due to limitations and barriers disguised as diversity initiatives. Examine the Presidency to ascertain which groups have been blocked from participation and why, ask for an immediate reset list to include the input of the poor, disadvantaged, religious and non-religious, unemployed youth and adults, and philosophically conservative exclusions. Non-diversity is shrouded today, hidden from view by the loudly proclaimed elements of variety that fail to listen to or consider points of view other than their own-this is not diversity! Today’s patriot expressing variety stands outside the in group surviving in the winter of nonsense sadly often labeled diversity. Basically his opinion is not heard and long held constitutional principles are being obviated daily by a present day diversity charade featuring the pretense of freedom to be heard. Government as a result becomes larger, less responsive, and hides its activity under the concept of American pseudo-similarities. My hope is that true diversity resulting in greater variety and fuller participation from ordinary citizens in time will be achieved for all the people of our great country. Dr. Alan G. Phillips, Sr. Ed. D. Vice President Retired, Lincoln College, Lincoln, Il