By Nijan Datar
Now that Town Meeting has effectively given the green light to add a Diversity Officer for the Town (in addition to the one added to the school system last year), the question arises: what can we do about it?
Before we get to that, let us try to understand why there is so much support for the Diversity movement in the first place. The claim is that the Town and School employees do not reflect the population of the Town and this is due to racism (with sexism, homophobia, and transphobia playing less important but supporting roles in this claim). And the racism is not just isolated, but systemic, meaning there are legal and institutional barriers that prevent the desired end. The claim is made as though self-evident, hence requiring no proof. Your disagreement is itself proof of your racist desire to exclude those unlike you. Heads they win, tails you lose.
But of course, there is no such systemic racism, for if there were, we would be inundated with examples of qualified minorities being refused jobs. The only thing that comes close to systemic racism is affirmative action, which is the system putting its thumb in favor of those very groups.
The reason the diversity theory is enticing is that, even after fifty years of affirmative action (to atone for genuine past racism), the poverty rate for some groups remains stubbornly high. This is taken as definitive proof of exploitation and oppression by majority groups. In the Diversity movement, as in the Marxist movement, there are no individuals interacting to achieve goals, but only groups trying to oppress other groups. Meritocracy is to be shunned, as the oppressed groups cannot even make it to the starting line due to the burdens of past oppression.
This movement is not one of goodwill, with a genuine desire to help the poor overcome the obstacles to success. It is about tearing down rather than building up, about dividing and segregating rather than uniting. A black life is important to them only if it has been taken by a white person (preferably a police officer). There are no references to inner-city crime, fatherlessness, truancy, illiteracy, and the general dysfunction in the communities they supposedly care about. Instead, the focus is on blaming and shaming one group (whites) and assigning apriori collective guilt just for being white. No, this movement is evil and racist to the core. It needs to be challenged and exposed every step of the way.
But what can we do in Acton? We need a two-pronged strategy, one focused on the Town, and one focused on the schools.
In the case of the Town, the most important concern should be our hiring process, especially for important positions like police, firefighters, medical personnel, engineers, health inspectors etc. To find the best, it is reasonable if they expand their advertising and outreach to a wider radius around Town. The requirements of each job should be transparent, and we should insist that no relevant objective requirement (like education, physical strength, experience, etc.) be minimized for diversity reasons. Only in the case of multiple qualified applicants would it be acceptable to nod in the direction of diversity. In other words, make it a tie-breaker at the end without sacrificing qualifications at the beginning, thus retaining meritocracy.
In addition, we should insist that there are no race-based requirements imposed on our existing employees. Things like white-privilege checklists, anti-whiteness training, and all the abhorrent racism inherent in Critical Race Theory should be opposed with every tool at our disposal. We must require the Town to disclose if they intend to use any of these tools and why.
For schools, we should require that the curriculum and reading lists for each class be published, if not to the Town, then at least to the parents of that classroom. Similarly, we need to record each lecture, and make it available to the classroom parents upon request. At a minimum, an audio recording should be made. This will allow parents to keep track of what their taxpayer money is paying for. Here too, we need to keep an eye on what type of indoctrination is required of teachers and help those teachers who are trying to push back. They need our vocal and moral support. It is well past time for all people of goodwill to speak up, or at least support those who do.
Other than vigilance, we need to persuade people who have been seduced by the superficiality of “diversity, equity, and inclusivity”, that this is a program with no end. There are multiple ways to slice and dice humanity, and we will never be diverse enough, for the race-hustling racket would then have to come to an end. We need to remind them that within the movement, there is zero tolerance for diversity of opinion, as Simon Li found out recently (see his resignation letter)
This is a national movement of Marxists who have substituted race for class because that is more potent in America. Their ultimate goal is to usher in a Marxist utopia. To that end, they must first make you reimagine everything about this country, from its founding (1619 instead of 1776), to its reasons for independence (preserve slavery rather than individual freedom), to its political institutions (white oppression instead of checks and balances).
What I have said is not hyperbolic. We are heading in that direction at an astonishing pace. Without a vigorous and principled pushback, this movement will destroy America.
Alissa,
You are unable or unwilling to even define DEI for me. I asked you to define diversity for a sample 100 applicants to Acton town/school positions, given the census data. I asked you to define equity between any set of people (even down to two siblings). I am not asking for a magic number, but a theory that refuses to have ANY quantification is just a smokescreen for something else.
What would that something else be? I believe the DEI crowd uses equity as a stand-in for “equal outcomes”. They can’t come out and say it openly, because that relentlessly leads in the direction of Marxism/Communism. And until the right moment comes, equity will remain stubbornly and purposely undefined. Prove me wrong by giving me a definition of equity that a regular citizen can understand in terms of what it would mean for his/her life.
You know who doesn’t care that there is only one Indian teacher at Blanchard? The Indians. If they cared, they would have stayed back in India, so the teachers “could look like their kids”. They only care that she is a good teacher, and that all teachers are so good that their kids get the best education, so they can go to the best colleges. Somehow, they managed to be engineers, doctors, dentists, lawyers, entrepreneurs, etc., and not a single one of them has assumed that Blanchard has this racist cabal secretly plotting to keep out Indians. Only the DEI crowd sees race in EVERYTHING.
I think readers may be tiring of this, so I am not going to pursue this much longer. But if you want the support of skeptical people, you have to start with definitions.
Nijan, I don’t believe there is a uniformity of thinking among the “DEI crowd” about definitions and goals. While I agree that being clear and in agreement about what it is we’re actually discussing is important to a fruitful and effective conversation, I personally find the dialogue about “definitions” on this forum to be pretty circular with frequent questioning of the true meaning of words. So if I elaborate on what DEI means to me, I anticipate being told that my perspective has no merit for whatever reason. That being said, for me, bringing equity into the equation means taking into consideration the history, policies, power structures, and culture of a community or organization and consciously, intentionally addressing the unique needs and challenges of the various populations. It takes personal AND organizational effort.
As far as measures, I think they are different for every situation and are so complex that to present a breakdown of your 100 hires would be essentially meaningless. There is plenty of evidence available, mountains of it, for implicit, unconscious bias impacting hiring, lending, housing, school placement, services, policing, etc. I don’t feel it’s my responsibility to do the work of bringing all that data to you and readers. This isn’t a court of law where there is burden of proof on one party; it’s just a conversation among community members.
I speak with Indians in Acton on a daily basis, and they are not telling me they don’t care that their kids’ teachers aren’t Indian. The kids themselves are saying that it’s an issue. I respect that you don’t care and it’s not an issue for you, your kids, and presumably the Indians you know. To each his/her own. I don’t presume you speak for all Indians.
I don’t find it surprising to hear the Left personalize “race” in this conversation. How could anyone object to “more diversity?”
Well, I object. Diversity is not a goal the school system should attain. Instead, it should hire people solely based on competence: competence in the the subject matter they are teaching, and competence to communicate the subject clearly to the students. Period.
Any use of “diversity” in the hiring process merely for the sake of trying to reflect some predetermined racial, gender, or ethnic makeup means by definition that we are hiring teachers who are less competent.
I’m sure most Acton parents want the best teachers for their children and don’t care the personal background of the teacher, so long as they are excellent in their field and able to effectively communicate the lessons to the kids.
Allen
Alissa,
No, you cannot “be sure there are practices based on personal biases and prejudices”, unless you demonstrate proof of it. In fact, here we could find common ground, where I asked for transparency in hiring, in that no relevant objective requirement is minimized in order to increase diversity. Meritocracy is my definition of fairness in hiring, and for multiply qualified candidates, I think it is reasonable to hire based on diversity. My sense (correct me if I am wrong) is that, in the DEI world, diversity is the goal rather than a happy by-product of meritocratic hiring.
The problem with diversity as a goal, is that there is no stopping point. See my response above to Bill and Catherine. How would you fill those 100 slots ?
What if there aren’t enough applicants to fill those slots ? According to 2019 census estimates from census.gov (actual 2020 numbers are not yet published), Acton is roughly 68% White, 26% Asian, 3.5% Hispanic, 1.5% Black, 0.2% Indian/Alaskan/Pacific Islander and “Other”. 3% of the above are mixed race.
So now, does Acton have a problem because 26% of its police/firefighters etc. are not Asian? What if the applicant pool has an extremely small number of Asian applicants? What about the fact that the number of women in our police force is less than 50%? Before we accuse our Town officials of hiring based on biases and prejudices, we need proof. If you have evidence that a qualified non-white (or female or gay, or trans etc.) person was passed over in favor of a less qualified white male person, please bring it forward. You and I will be on the same side of that argument, where we want the best person hired (in my case, regardless of irrelevant criteria, but at least our interests will be aligned for that particular hire).
How would you ensure equity (even assuming it can be properly defined)? Everyone has a diverse set of talents, expertise, work ethic and innumerable other characteristics that make up who we are. I have no idea how to achieve “equity” between a genius like Steve Jobs and an ordinary guy like me. Let’s make it simple and try to define equity between 2 siblings (who had about as close to a similar start in life). Their paths in life could be extremely divergent. What is the equity you would impose on those two? When would we be able to say there is no inequity ?
No, I am not intolerant of these concepts – I am saying that they, aside from never being specific, are being used to divide us based on (primarily) race, which does make them racist, and saying so after giving reasons does not make me a bigot. If that were the case, no one could use the word racist in a sentence without also being a bigot.
Finally, there is a timely 5-minute video just released today about Thomas Sowell. If it piques your interest, I recommend his other works. Here is the link:
https://www.prageru.com/video/the-great-thomas-sowell/?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_2608975
Thank you.
I think you’ve made it pretty clear that you are not tolerant of efforts to identify and address barriers to DEI. You object even to a study that would give you the data you say you want. I certainly can’t supply you with that.
In terms of the town’s employ…If there aren’t female applicants for the fire and police departments, let’s find out why. If there are, why aren’t they hired? If they are hired, but do not stay in the job, why is that? At Town Hall, if there aren’t BIPOC applicants, why not? Does the town not use job listing networks to reach those candidates? If they are applying, are they being interviewed? Are they being hired? If they are hired, are they staying in their jobs? If not, why not? This is a very complicated issue, with many influencing factors, both personal and institutional.
I’m mystified why you insist on a magic number or end goal to even consider pursuing an improvement. Have your children ever had a teacher who looked like them in the AB schools? As far as I know, there is a single Indian American teacher in the district, at Blanchard. If you suggest that meritocracy is crucial to fair hiring, then can I conclude you believe the current make up of town employees reflects a historic hiring of the best applicants? If so, it seems you might believe that diverse hires would have resulted in less qualified employees.
Ms. Nicol:
You apparently don’t believe Acton/Boxborough School District (A/B) does a sufficient job in their hiring processes. Many people come to A/B for the school system – for the education they hope their children will get. They support the schools and very-high tax bills in order to try to insure the best education possible. They must be disappointed they are not getting more for their buck.
I assume the racial and gender ratios of A/B teachers and Acton residents are not synchronized and imagine there are a number of reasons for this. Not everyone is comfortable with being a minority in a large group of other races, genders or socially constructed populations. I know of a white teacher who taught a virtually all-black school-student body along with all black teachers. Neither the children nor teachers felt comfortable with the white in their midst and made it clear they were not. The white teacher finally went to another school district where she is doing fine. I would guess some teachers would not be interested in facing this obstacle to their career path, and may not apply. Some teachers rather not live in A/B or surrounds, or their spouse works elsewhere. The point is there are lots of reasons for people making career moves which have very little to do with the actual job at hand. That goes for all other departments of Town governance.
It would be helpful to know how many minority applicants have applied for positions over some relative period of time and whether they were qualified for the job listing. While doing your research, you might also find out whether jobs are listed on BIPOC networks, and if not, why not. I have no idea. I do know we pay an equal or better salary for our staffing, compared to other towns. I guess that should attract large groups of candidates. I assume our personnel managers and hiring staff set aside their biases, to the best of their ability, to make the best hires they can. if my estimates and math are correct, we should have 20+ blacks, 50+ hispanics , close to 400 asians, roughly 1000 whites and a small number of other representation in our staffing, and perhaps somewhere around 50% of women. Presumably you don’t believe we have these numbers. Perhaps you could find out what the numbers are, and why our leadership thinks they do not come closer to DEI goals. Please publish your findings. Many in Acton would like to know the answers, and the process is not all that transparent, especially to those of us not as closely connected to town government as you are.
I hope you are in agreement that under any circumstance we should not reduce our experience and talent standards for job applicants. Weighting, other than job-specific merit, in hiring formulas does not guarantee diversity, but if overdone can guarantee the best applicants will not be picked, and relies on fair and bias-free decision making which is hard to come by. I hope you also agree Acton should not be paying premium salaries to some folks simply to meet a goal. If in crisis, I hope not to be attended by fire, emt, police or other employees who are less than the most qualified the town can muster. At that instant I am not interested in color, gender, age or other DEI criteria. I assume parents want, most of all, for their kids to have technically-qualified educators or they would likely not be here and paying the taxes they do.
As I am sure you know the DEI survey, as sparse as it was, showed relatively low interest in a Diversity Officer – interesting if nothing else.
I assume we are not only discussing staff in schools, but all town employees, including appointed and elected officials. Diversity seems to be increasing over time, but as I said above, I don’t have this data and many characteristics are not visible. I agree with the need to get answers to all the questions you are posing here. I’m not equipped to get them though. That will presumably be one of the outcomes of the DEI study, funding for which just passed at our June Town Meeting, an item that the author and others commenting here, strongly opposed, spoke against, and voted against. I also completely agree that staff qualifications not be sacrificed in the name of diversity.
Ms. Nicol:
I am trying not to discuss A/B staffing – I will leave that to someone who better understands what is going on in the schools than do I. You are, however, clearly discussing A/B district as well as municipal staffing, and are not happy with hiring processes of either, or the people who carry them out. You have said so a number of times.
You show a great deal of concern for the lack of racial diversity in the school system. I will concede you are likely correct that the vast majority of Acton municipal employees and A/B teachers are white-skinned – as is true of the residents of Acton. A/B, if I am correct, has a diversity specialist in a high-level administrative position, and Acton is not far behind. It will be difficult, however, to quickly meet your goal of parity in our systems without some drastic changes in staffing – and the brunt of that will be in A/B where the big numbers reside.
You also show a certain dislike for meritocracies – people rewarded with jobs or advancement based on abilities and merit. I would suggest the theory is much better than what it replaced – a system of inherited entitlements. Marxism has a good ring to some, but alas doesn’t work in the real world. Those who have tried it find that without rewards people lose interest. In a number of societies the reward system has been replace with one of fear and treachery carried out by a few upon the masses – something apparently being applied by a number of school districts around the U.S. where parents are in locked combat with school boards over CRT “infusion”. The problem with all systems is that they are run by people. Perhaps people will be replaced by AI, but unfortunately other people, with their biases, write the code for those systems. At some point AI may not need human intervention. At that point, however, our problem won’t be with mere-mortals or extraterrestrials – but with a more sinister AI.
Since you raised it, I hope the DEI Commission realizes that a group made up of 70% Black or any-color (first- generation, I assume) immigrants, not necessarily documented as it now stands, will receive some push-back in a community that is close to 70% white-skinned and largely documented (close to 90% when combined with non-1st-generation Asians, who would not qualify for the Commission under today’s reading). I can understand the request for at least one student DEI member (they get the lion’s share of bullying) but do not see any defined requirements for Jewish representation although they also bear a fair amount of bigotry. I understand the Commission is early in their process of fleshing out the group dynamics, but find it interesting that, at this point, we could have a Commission made up of undocumented elementary-level students providing significant input to all municipal job placements or advancements (said tongue-in-cheek). You suggest you do not wish to see qualifications sacrificed in the name of diversity. I agree and, although somewhat skeptical, hope it works out that way.
I assume we are not only discussing staff in schools, but all town employees, including appointed and elected officials. Diversity seems to be increasing over time, but as I said above, I don’t have this data and many characteristics are not visible. I agree with the need to get answers to all the questions you are posing here. I’m not equipped to get them though. That will presumably be one of the outcomes of the DEI study, funding for which just passed at our June Town Meeting, a budget line item that the author and others commenting here, strongly opposed, spoke against, and voted against. I also completely agree that staff qualifications not be sacrificed in the name of diversity.
Alissa,
the Article 3A funding that I and others oppose was not for a DEI study, 35K was to define the job of a Diversity Officer and 50K was for 1/2 year salary (approx).
The DEIC will now publish its report which will recommend hiring a Diversity Officer, and the current Select Board will promptly vote to have the Town Manager hire one. That is entirely predictable.
Charlie
Nijan, respectfully, if words are put into quotations marks, especially when it is attributed to an individual by name, then it’s not read as “paraphrasing.” The only other use of quotation marks is sarcasm, and I highly doubt that’s what Charlie was doing in the comment above. It’s read as a direct quote. I did not write “anti-Black, racist.” I did not write “racist” anywhere in my FB post. So your “defense” of Charlie is not only unnecessary, but wildly misleading and inappropriate.
As far as the anti-Black rhetoric, it is found in your blog’s 5th paragraph where you put forth a laundry list of negative Black stereotypes. The bigotry is pretty much throughout the entire blog as you are setting forth a call of intolerance for the support of diversity, inclusion and equity. Specifically, you call this movement “evil” and “racist.”
In a town as diverse as Acton, if there are not employees working in Town Hall, at our Public Safety building, in our fire stations, and in our schools who represent that diversity, you can be sure there are practices based on personal biases and prejudices that are keeping it that way. This is actually what institutional racism looks like today since the racist laws are no longer on the books.
Alissa in your last paragraph you claim that Acton’s Town and school employees do not represent the diversity of the general population. Let’s consider what it would take for that claim to have any factual basis :
First, there would have to be a measure of diversity, a way to classify people. Would it be by skin color ? Ethnicity ? Religion ? Sexual orientation ? All of the above ? If our goal is to have everyone treated equally then isn’t any such classification inconsistent with that goal ? As fundamental as that question is, let’s set it aside and continue to look at your claims.
All, or at least a statistically significant part of Acton’s general population would have to be classified. The Federal Census is not reliable, I and others deliberately do not answer the “race” question. So, do you have a measure of diversity of the general Acton population ? If you do not, your accusations stop here.
Next, you would need to know the diversity of the Acton Town and school (ABRSD) employees. That is more than 1500 people. I doubt that you have surveyed their diversity, therefore your statement that these employees do not represent the general population is just another baseless accusation.
Your next accusation escalates to an attack on the integrity of the existing employees, especially those with any hiring authority. How many of these people do you know ?
Finally, you top off your sequence of illogical statements and baseless claims by accusing our Town and school employees of “institutional racism”.
Alissa, that is a serious accusation. Fortunately for Acton, you are wrong.
Charlie
Charlie, Yes, all of the above. I wholeheartedly agree that everyone should be treated equally. That would be ideal, and it is the aspirational underpinning of this country’s founding. Unfortunately, it’s not a reality. Not even close. Which is why we’re having the DEI conversation and engaged in the DEI work. The effects of historic, legally sanctioned discrimination based on gender, race, religion, country of origin, disability, sexual orientation, etc. are long lasting. So there’s no inconsistency identifying and addressing the existing exclusion of individuals or groups based on those classifications which has it’s origins in historic practices.
The Census is 90% accurate, statistically significant.
You are correct that I haven’t surveyed the diversity of 1500 town employees. That information is not publicly available as far as I know, and for good reason. Privacy should matter. I have eyes though, and some diversity is visible even though much more is not.
Finally, there is no attack on anyone in my statement. We all have biases and prejudices, many (maybe most) of them subconscious. I’m not suggesting anyone employed by the town is a bad person. I know a lot of town employees. I speak with many on a pretty regular basis. I listen to the stories they tell, and although they are not my stories to share, I do encourage everyone to work hard to find opportunities to listen as well.
Alissa, you cannot have it both ways. Either you believe that our Town and school employees are not sufficiently diverse, that personal biases and prejudices are keeping it that way, and that this is institutional racism (which was the whole point of your 7-26-2021 comment), or you want to backpedal with some fuzzy generalities.
Either way, accusing someone, or a group, of racism without very specific evidence is inexcusable. You owe our Town and school employees an apology.
Charlie
Charlie, I’m not backpedaling. Again, these stories (what you call “very specific evidence”) are not mine to share. I’m sure you can appreciate that there is great risk to someone who has experienced discrimination to go public with it. Some stories have been shared with me in confidence. Other stories are publicly available and have been shared in meetings, forums and recorded interviews.
Alissa,
In defense of Charlie (not that he needs my defense, as he is superbly capable of defending himself), his paraphrasing of your comment was, though not verbatim, substantively correct. Strictly speaking, “anti-Black, racist” is a redundancy, so what he forgot to add was bigotry. Fair enough.
But in the interest of being factual and accurate, readers would appreciate what in the original posting was “anti-Black”, and what was “bigotry”. These are simply accusations, so backing it up with evidence would be helpful.
Hey Charlie,
My name is Alissa Nicol, not Alyssa Nichol, and since you’ve utilized quotation marks in your comment, I’d like to point out that I wrote “anti-Black rhetoric and bigotry” on the ABSC Facebook page, not “anti-Black, racist.”
I appreciate you pointing out that all opinions are welcome on Acton Forum and that censorship doesn’t happen. It would be great if Acton Forum authors and commenters took a bit more care to be factual and accurate.
Sorry for the incorrect spelling of your name Alissa Nicol.
Charlie
Nijan,
I commend you for your excellent thoughts and willingness to speak out against CRT. It takes brave people like you to have a democracy. Others don’t have the courage to speak up, but you will find that you have many friends along the way. The CRT ideology is a way of scapegoating people, according to their DNA. When the victims are offended, they get gaslighted and told that they are just imagining things. We know that this is not true however and that CRT’s inherent racism and sexism don’t belong in our schools (aka choosing employees by their immutable characteristics, not by skills). The nice thing is that other states have woken up and banned this divisive ideology. Once they start to overtake MA on testing and other measures, the people here will wake up. ( https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/map-where-critical-race-theory-is-under-attack/2021/06 )
Personally, I am glad that I don’t live in Acton any more. These ideological challenges are not occurring further out, in the country. Hopefully, Actonians will read Cynical Theories and start getting the big picture. The best way to challenge bad ideas is with better ideas, because modern society is always learning. Shutting down conversations and “cancelling people ” because they challenge your ideas is dark ages stuff. It is how CRT has able to invade our institutions, but people are more aware now and standing up to it. Hopefully, Acton will not be damaged by the storm. You are right in speaking up Nijan. You are simply ahead of the crowd.
All the best,
Melanie
(ps We loved Oak Meadow Montessori, too.)
Melanie, thank you.
One minor disagreement with the second half of this statement:
“They are the instigators of this diversity racket and it will be up to them to rein it in”.
They are not going to rein it in – in fact they are accelerating as fast as they can. It is up to us to rein them in. Bret Weinstein (one of the early victims of this crusade at Evergreen College) said that the difficulty lies in an aspect of Game Theory where, for each individual, it feels hard to fight back as one may be afraid for their jobs and safety, and doesn’t know if anyone else will back them up. So it is easier to apologize, stay silent, and hope that they are spared negative repercussions.
But if we all back each other up, without apology, and openly, we can push back against the School Committee, the DEI Commission, and the Select Board. For the schools, it is crucial that current parents (who have direct skin in the game) band together and make their voice heard. The other side is good at hurling accusations, and speaking in generalities. We can only make progress by being relentlessly fact-based, and pointing out all the negative aspects of this agenda.
Regarding the DEI position, “A more unproductive and harmful job description would be hard to find.”
That is so true and well said Nijan.
Sadly, our colleges have abandoned western civilization in their quest to make themselves into a global industry. They have replaced brutally honest, but revealing world history with pabulum, deductive reasoning with ideology. It looked great on the balance sheet, but they have now undermined our society. A quick look at Kendi’s, How to Be an Anti-Racist and Robin DiAngelo’s, White Fragility (available on-line from the Acton Mem. Library) shows how shallow and illogical is this woke movement. Our universities are peddling nonsense instead of teaching robust liberal arts. They are the instigators of this diversity racket and it will be up to them to rein it in.
In the meantime, Acton will have to make very good decisions. A careful eye on the curriculum, a continued focus on western culture and norms, robust testing of students and teachers, will keep the quality of the schools. Without this, the schools will decline. The town’s DEI position should be thoroughly vetted in terms of budgetary issues. Can Acton afford such an extraneous position? This individual will have to make the case that Acton is an intolerant place because anyone with eyes would claim otherwise.
Alyssa Nichol has invited the readers of an AB School Community Facebook page to read this “anti-Black, racist” article and to send their comments to Acton Forum.
Earlier today the national news included the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki disclosing that the White House and Facebook have been cooperating in deleting “misinformation” from Facebook. This is done “to save lives”, Ms. Psaki explained to Peter Doocy, so censorship is OK, the Constitution does not matter.
As one of the founders of the Acton Forum I want to assure potential contributors and comment writers that the Acton Forum does not censor contributions. Opinions, criticisms, compliments and pro and con arguments are equally welcome.
Charlie
Bill, Catherine,
Classical Marxism wanted the proletariats (the oppressed) to rise up against their oppressors. The Communist Party in this country tried but failed. Even most unions in this country were staunchly anti-communist. Given that this country allows people to escape the chains of their birth and rise as far as they can make it, class warfare doesn’t appeal much. But the same dynamic of oppressor and oppressed could be used between the races, given the history of slavery, Jim Crow, KKK etc. (as an aside, these were all a legacy of the Democrat party but we won’t get sidetracked by that).
The crucial idea connecting the two is that oppression is not committed by an individual against another, but by one group against another group. So you can quibble whether it is Marxist, but when you substitute race for class, the label is accurate. If you insist, we can call it collectivist instead of Marxist, but the same horrors will ensue if we persist in dividing by race (instead of class).
MLK Jr’s idea of judging by the content of one’s character was individual-focused and quintessentially American, while the DEI philosophy jettisons that completely (except on MLK Jr. Day where they mouth empty platitudes). Let’s cut to the chase. How should we implement diversity in our Town and School ?
Let’s say we have 100 slots to fill. Give me your perfect idea of how to fill it. What categories of diversity would you use ? White, Black, Hispanic, gay, trans, Hindu, Muslim, atheist, disabled, and the list goes on. For Asians, do we go by country ? For a country, do we use tribes or castes or geographic diversity (in fact, many people around the world don’t identify by race, but by religion or tribe or caste) ? What about political diversity (half Republican, half Democrat)? Now that last would also be inclusive. I would like to know what the gold standard for diversity is. I know how I would fill those 100 slots, because I don’t split humanity into irrelevant groups.
And we haven’t even got to equity. A loosely defined word, it supposedly does not mean equality (as in equality before the law, where everyone is innocent until proved guilty, and everyone has the same freedom to pursue his dream, but with no guarantee of success). They won’t pin it down, and the most one can make of what they mean is equal outcomes. Of course, that is impossible unless forced North Korean style. One place we could try equity is to insist that every employee in the Town and School earn the same salary that is the current average. The budget stays the same and voila, we have equity. Money talks, and is a great equalizer, so I wonder if this brand of equity will be considered by our DEI Commission.
So, since diversity and equity can never be satisfactorily reached, it ensures that the Diversity industry will remain employed in perpetuity. A more unproductive and harmful job description would be hard to find. Just the fact that many university diversity officers make $400k and have an army of useless lieutenants should be enough to make everyone stop donating a single cent to colleges. Yes, it is a race-hustling racket.
So, if we want to make this productive, and not accusatory, please lay down the gold standard for DEI. If we have to jettison hiring based on anything other than the content of a person’s character, and only use group credentials, put your best ideas on the table, and be specific. Honestly, I am all ears.
Nijan
Incredible on so many levels but they always are consistent if nothing else. This time it’s dressed up (again) as Marxism. Are we allowed to make historical parallels to HUAC (recorded of course) or will that be banned too? Briefly: try teaching civil rights and Jim Crow without mentioning slavery and past and current systemic racism and how the wealth of this nation came about (for some of course) which is is basically what the one pronged “strategy” (euphemism) they are gunning for. What I have said is not hyperbolic or from Das Kapital.
UPON FURTHER REFLECTION:
A few thoughts and questions for Mister Alstrom and all the other 1619 Project advocates for hiring a Diversity Officer….
What is the essential difference between a Diversity Officer and a Commissar of Hiring and Promotions…? Would he/she/it report to the Personnel Manager, – or oversee Marianne Fleckner…?
Would he/she/it need their own office? Staff? A town vehicle?
Could he/she/it work remotely?
Could he/she/it work for more than one town?
Would somebody (JamieBoy) decide that the State needs an Office of Diversity Oversight, – and thus create another autonomous State agency which would grow out of control…?
Starts to look like a slippery slope to me….an expensive one!
Nijan Datar,
Spot on! Well done, indeed.
Nijan Datar is wordy – but absolutely correct! The gullible rich idiots of Acton are falling for the latest left-wing hoax, even as their supply of masks sits in their cars.
In my lifetime it was Global Cooling, then Silent Spring, then an Energy Shortage, then Global Warming and Rising Sea Levels, HOLES in the Ozone Layer,…now COVID and “Systemic Racism”.
Always SOMETHING to give government officials more emergency powers, – and to harvest more taxes.
You might think with the plethora of advanced college degrees in Acton and Boxborough, – that some of you would see through the charade.
Sadly, advanced degrees don’t make gullible people smart. Just obnoxious.
You can always tell the worst of them. Up popped Bill Alstrom – wrapped tightly in his 1619 Project – to call names (the first and last act of the wounded charlatan), calling Mr. Datar “Tucker Carlson”.
Bill, are you campaigning for the Diversity Officer job? Have you personally been denied school admission or employment based on your ethnicity or gender identity?
Do you know Acton or Boxborough residents who have been abused or discriminated against? Specifics please; glittering generalities just won’t cut it.
Just FYI Folks, Bill showed us the courage of his AA/EEO convictions last November when he decided that it was high time career kleptocrats had a chance to govern. Thus he made sure America was led by a Dementia patient and a career fellatist.
WAKE UP ACTON! “Systemic Racism” and the 1619 Project are evil hoaxes designed to stuff government with do-nothing bureaucrats, – career under-achievers who never built anything of value. They couldn’t even drive Amazon trucks!
Wow. I mean really…wow. We have our own Tucker Carlson right here in Acton. Marxist? I don’t remember diversity being a feature of communism in its practice. 1619 is an imagination? Record each lecture? Good grief, why don’t we just put listening devices in every home?
Teaching the truth about our history is NOT indoctrination. But generations HAVE been indoctrinated by the absence important facts about American genocide and suppression of “others”. We have been teaching a half history – the pretty invented one.
This rage against “diversity” is a display of fear and is an embarrassment.
I have heard no one suggest that ethnicity should override qualifications. I have heard no one suggest that anything other than facts be taught in our schools.
This essay is beyond hyperbolic. It sounds like guilt presenting a defense. Why does teaching the truth and embracing diversity stir such anger and ridiculous blowback?
BTW, in 1776, the only “individual liberty” being fought for was for white men – mostly of means. Not Native Americans, not African Americans, not women. And the US was slow to eliminate slavery. There are many reasons I am proud of this nation and many reasons I am ashamed. All of it must be taught in our schools so it can become a better place.
Also, what is the “race hustling racket”? Who and what are you referring to? Is considering how race impacts our actions and tilts society a hustle? Who knew?
Hi Bill,
You “protest too much” in your response. Nijan Datar’s piece was not about teaching history whatsoever. Everyone agrees that America’s history can and should be taught fully and completely.
The problem of Critical Race Theory is two-fold as I see it. First, it seeks to elevate the history of racial issues above many others, so from an historical perspective, it is incorrect. And you provide a good example of this when you discount the importance of “individual liberty” in our founding because “white men” did not advocate an end to various oppressions at the time. (Why you don’t mention the oppression of women is an inconsistency in your argument.)
In 1776, many people and cultures in America were “oppressed,” but we needed Jefferson’s ideal as our goal in order to evolve into the country we are today. Without America’s lead on this issue, the world would probably be governed solely by kings, despots, and dictators. In human history, individual freedom is the anomaly, and America’s incredible progress on expanding that liberty is something to be cherished and valued, even if it took time (how could it not have?)
Second, CRT as taught in school is not about teaching America’s true history, it is about indoctrinating students that race is the determining factor in achievement, not personal character, hard work, etc. It is a divisive (and incorrect) message and it’s goal is to further divide future generations over superficial characteristics rather than bring divergent groups together to make us collectively stronger.
The reason this is a Marxist ideology is because it is pushed by Marxists. I don’t pretend to fully understand the long-term plans of these people, but if “the Squad” and Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris and Black Lives Matter and Antifa are for it, then I am pretty sure there is an underlying reason.
If I had to guess, it would be that they are using the “power of the people” to gain political power so they can exploit them, as the Democrats have been doing in many large American cities for decades now. Just ask the Cubans or Venezuelans how Marxism has worked for the average person.
We need to reject this Socialist/Marxist ideology and return to the capitalist values that have made America the beacon for freedom and democracy around the world, and that have created the wealth and strength to stand up to the Leftist dictatorships and failed economic policies of Socialists that America’s Left wants us to adopt.
Bill, I for one will not exhaust myself rebutting your every point! I will, however, tell you that the constitution was written as the foundation for the country and ALL its people! It set the tone for how the future laws, institutions and government would move forward! It lashed out against dictators and despots! No, change did not happen over night, nor could anyone have expected it to. Slavery, for all its evil, was prevalent world wide not just in America! Fighting racism has been a difficult battle but enormous strides have been made and brothers took each other’s lives on the battlefield over it! Through education and hard work doors of opportunity have opened for all people. Look up and down every profession and you see the diversity we all desire. We don’t need divisiveness we need unity! Our founding fathers and the constitution set the stage for slow difficult change, change not seen anywhere else in the world, but ultimately “liberty and justice for all” and the greatest country on earth!
Good Afternoon Mr. Alstrom:
I agree with you – Wow. That is, however, as far as I can go.
I assume you did not read the very short statement of Xi Van Fleet. She does not seem to be an out-of-control person. Her statement is measured. She compares CRT to the Cultural Revolution, a historic moment she lived through, and escaped from. If you have not read her statement, I hope you will at some point. The YouTube page I referred you to is still up – as surprising as that might seem in our current climate.
Rhetoric has reached a high level at this point and feelings are strong. One Acton resident has copied the discussion article to at least one A/B school site and asked for responses to the author of the article. I assume the hope is that the author will be scared off – I hope not. We are in a very alarming time with democracy, as we know it, at stake. We will likely get through this. We usually do. The questions are whether we come out of this exercise for the better or the worse, and whether our form of government, as we now know it, will survive. Many of our compatriots seem not to care, or seem to believe there is a utopia out there – unlikely.
Bob Hertz