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Diversity for sake of diversity is complete nonsense. It really depends on what you are deciding and whom that decision will affect. Way too often decisions are crippled by mandated diversity.

The nonsense? Let's say you need an operation, do you want a review committee that includes all women, all men, LGBT, various races, etc i.e., the nonsense or would you prefer a group of trained and qualified doctors? Now if you want the actual advantage of diversity throw in a nurse, a PA/NP and a medical student.

Now if you are deciding on a new park in town, a cross section of the people that will use the park as well those that are going to actually pay for the new park would be good, but those that pay should have a bigger say than those that receive.

Would any of you really rather go your whole life only sleeping with blonde white women? Diversity in vag I tell ya.

I asked because I've been thinking a lot about this lately. Few would argue that diversity is a bad thing...for all the standard reasons of varied viewpoints, innovation, exposure to new ideas, etc. And few can argue intelligently that government involvement in encouraging diversity is generally a good thing....anybody else remember forced busing?

But I am 100% convinced that having more diverse life experiences makes us far more tolerant of and understanding of those that are different. And one thing this country could use right now is some tolerance and even understanding of those that are different. I'm not talking about PC for PC's sake. I'm talking about sanding down some of the rough edges of racism, nationalism, religious intolerance, even, perhaps political 'discourse' by getting past rhetoric and injecting a little understanding. Not touchy-feely empathy or anything of the sort...but respect for differing views and motivations. Spending parts of your life interacting with those you dislike/fear/hate/object to...etc, almost always makes you more understanding and tolerant. I'm not talking about specific individuals...because a dickhead can often become an exceptional dickhead once you get to know them. But as for 'groups', it changes the way a person thinks when they are put in a position to work with, school with, interact with...those that are distinctly different.

I'm a little short on solutions atm, but I'm pretty sure that increased integration would lead to less division, violence, group-think inanity, etc.

I heard a term on the news the other day that made sense the more I thought about it. Racial bias. Meaning at least to me that as a white person, I have an inherent bias towards people that come from a different race, and have very different life experiences.

For example I do not understand what a black man feels when stopped by the police.

It behooves me as an American to understand better, why fellow Americans are hurting so badly, and to help if possible.

I do not see this as being political, it is about being a good human being.

Like serving in the military with every race, color, and creed? Living in foreign countries and actually being the minority?

I agree.

My family does, too, it would seem. White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian... all were accounted for at the 4th of July bash we just had. That's FAMILY, not including friends attending.

Forced diversity... is that like telling me I have to sell my house to a minority..??

+1

Life is easy if you are just not a dictator.

Why would welfare breeding come up in a discussion about diversity?

In general diversity is good. We put ourselves in a box and we define ourselves by the limits or edges of that box. We view our world by the edges of that box. We solve our problems within the edges of that box. Which is why we keep bringing up "think outside of the box." It opens us up to another set of possible solutions.

Now setting diametrically opposite of diversity is tribalism. Call it whatever you like: tribalism, network, group, team, family, etc. We are social by design and we like being part of a group. The reason for the group can differ and we can belong to different groups at the same time. Heck, this cigar forum is a group, but it could be race, political group, needlepoint club. We like being part of a group. It is pretty much inbred into us. There is safety in numbers, especially when we share the same characteristic. This sense of belonging to the group creates some strange behavior. To maintain the strength of the group, we tend to resist others who do not fit into the group. Sometimes logic is tossed aside for preservation of the group. The desire to maintain the strength of the group also keeps us inside that box that diversity opens up.

Diversity is good. Tribalism is good. Unfortunately, at times either one can be destructive. I will go to the extreme. Do you really think most Jihadist are fighting for Allah...or are they wanting to be part of a group? Fighting strengthens the bond and proves you are part of the group and being part of the group sometimes trumps logic. I think the same is happening with today's protest. If you look at the statistics and think about it logically, you wouldn't be part of a protest, but then you would not be part of the group.

"Facts are sticky things."

Well the chamber would validate the confirmation bias. It doesn't so well with facts, but it is great for opinions and beliefs.

Is that like talking to yourself so you hear great advice?

Dude - You could be Trump.....

them are votes...

The military is a mixed bag towards diversity...one day they're against it...the next they're for separate but the same and then they want full inclusion but with bias to make it a catch up game.

I understand why they are in the business of diversity though. At the crux of it all its about bodies. The ol sausage grinder needs bodies for the war machine...kinda like the scene in Pink Floyd's "The Wall" where they're all walking through the process only to find out they're just meat.

They don't have a need for division on the battlefield. You have an order, you follow it. No bias. No preconceived ideas. Don't? Yeah...nobody wants to be that person or find out how miserable theyll make your life. Just like there's no crying in baseball...you do what you're told. Lawfully.

The part that bothered me and I couldn't make it a career (there were a few other reasons but they were directed towards me and my family though!) is because of the "catching up" part. I held a job with cutoff scores locked at 999. It didn't matter that I was already what they called an "Acting Jack" wearing stripes, doing the job but not getting the pay as Sgt.. Went to advancement classes, kept my scores all high in most cases maxing them out. The only time they lowered it to 799, I didn't see a white soldier get the promotion. they deserved it but only because of color? No. I asked around at other bases too...same thing. I'm not saying not a single white guy got promoted...I couldn't find them, but I could point to those that I saw get them So, you see they will harbor discrimination when it fits their design, but for all rights and purposes the military is the "Social Experimentation Department" of America.

So you are for Planned Parenthood, birth control and abortions?

Brewha, for me that would be yes, I believe in women's rights.

Exactly, not to derail the diversity discussion to abortion, but WTF is the reason people cannot use birth control? There are multiple methods and they are effective. If the abortion advocates spent as much time promoting birth control there wouldn't be a need for so many abortions. Hummm

Man - I wish I thought it were as easy as you make it sound.

But I do agree with your premise.

Where did I say anything about not supporting unwanted children? My POV is to help those that cannot help themselves.

I was not referring to you Speyside.....

I was just waxing philosophical - and stuff....

So, your saying zika will make more Republican babies?


Wow - that's cruel...

True...true...

Hitler had a non breeding program, farmer field hunter, do you really want to go down a road like this?

Hitler had a lotta balls...

a lot of germans beleived him for awhile.... a few kennedys too.

Actually it was sterilizing.