We have been promoting woman power, black power, Latinx power, gay power, binary power, Asian power, Semite power (kosher and halal), indigenous power, and probably some others as well.
You notice I did not include White Power because it is heinous but at some point someone should address poor, underprivileged white people. Why? Because these people exist! Trust me. I speak from experience!
But the worse problem I see is not a damned person is promoting or celebrating people power.
We celebrate Firsts. First this, first that, first something else.
No one seems to be all that concerned with whether these people are qualified. Just whether they break another barrier. So far, the people seem to have been served fairly well but how long can it last. We are equally left wondering if we are getting the best or just someone “good enough”. When do the people, every damned one of us come first? When do we quit making a point and start doing what is right regardless of race, creed, sex, or national origin?
Ask yourself. Don’t necessarily justify to me. Look inward and question whether your recent rejoices had more to do with who and less to do with how good they were.
Like I said above, I think we did OK so far, but how long we can go down this path …
Let me reiterate a few points.
1) I am all for equality; true equality. Read the post and you will see that is exactly what I am championing. No one, and I repeat NO ONE, getting preferential treatment or discriminatory exclusion. The best wins.
2) I spent my life accepting various forms of affirmative action, to my personal cost. And I never, not once, thought it was not worth it. This despite the fact that I was personally paying for wrongs committed by others before I was even born.
3) I know we haven’t reached equality, but I also see the equality standard changing every time I turn around. It is becoming obvious that it is just as often being used as a tool for the unqualified to advance as it is being used as its intended goal of advance people who are being held back because of discrimination.
4) The more often unqualified individuals are advanced the more voice you give to racists, misogynists, etc. They point to them as examples.
5) I know the goal of equality is long but there must be a point where everyone should play on a level playing field. Are we at that point? I doubt it but that does not reduce the desire for it.
6) If you say we have to wait for universal equality before we establish a level playing field, I have news for you; it is never, never going to happen. If for no other reason that someone, somewhere will advocate for a different definition of equality. I see that now. Why should it be different in the future?
Set a standard all sides can life with and go for it. If you wait for true equality, you are dooming the world to some level of anarchy in perpetuity.
