The “Diversity in the Media” awarded to the El Paso Times editor recently has focused attention on the stagnation of US society. “Diversity”, a noun pointing out that someone is different, focuses on the one thing that the American society has been trying to distance itself from for centuries now. The US Civil War arguably brought about the beginning of the “we are the same” psychosis that has inhabited the American mind-set since.

In the zest to show how inclusive the American social scene is through awards and recognitions, the promoters of social inclusiveness betray their true feelings of perceived social divisiveness that permeates the social landscape of today’s America. The champions of social equality between peoples of different races are the ones that continue to stagnate the progression of race inclusiveness in society. Awards of work place diversity focuses attention on the one thing that the cheerleaders of the awards are so desperately trying to fix – the problem of pointing out the differences between races.

Any society, regardless of its history or traditions will always have a minority in its collective. The minority will be manifested in the color of the skin, the language spoken, the class system the person was born into or the educational accomplishments of the person. These differences are what makes each of us unique among the 6 billion or so inhabitants on Earth. The differences, which makes us individuals, is what allows us to perceive the world in our own unique perspective. This unique perspective allows us to contribute to the betterment of humanity by giving us a unique insight into a solution to a problem. For example, the invention of sign language would not have come about if the need to communicate with the deaf was not demanded by the deaf community. Each individual is unique in life experiences and perception of the world. No two individuals will ever agree on everything, to do so would be to create a collective of automatons reacting to pre-programmed directives instead of individuals contributing to our society in their own unique perspective.

Instead of ignoring our differences and demanding equality, the ill-conceived diversity awards should instead focus on our individual contributions to humanity. Accepting that our skin color may be different or that our thought processes are governed by our individuality only strengthens our equality in the fact that we are all different. Artificial integration only brings about resentment of forced social engineering and creates a majority of those formerly a minority, thus starting a never-ending vicious circle that never ends. The former majority is now the minority clamoring to get on top again. Thus, the circle of stagnation never ends.

By ignoring our differences and allowing Darwin’s theory of the stronger shall survive only strengthens the community’s sense of belonging. By eliminating our focus on the differences in our skin color and recognizing, those that contribute to society through their own merits only forces the dormant to either contribute or disappear into oblivion never to hold back human progress again.

Jobs, advancement and income should always be based on personal merit instead of the color one’s skin may be. Inclusion means that all are created equal based on our individual abilities to interpret and learn from our experiences. Those that learn are more likely to progress and fulfill their dreams than those who sit idly by expecting the others to reach out to them in order to artificially elevate them to higher levels. Anchoring a society to numerical representations of how many of what color should be where and making how much only stagnates the social evolution of the society. Sixty percent of one race in a society should not necessarily be representative of each level of that society. Levels of society are reached by the individuals who strive to better themselves for the good of their own free will. The drones of mediocrity will always strive for a handout in order to avoid the exertion of the exercise. By allowing the mediocre to proceed through the levels of society unchallenged forces the achievers down to mediocrity because no matter how much the achievers work, the artificial barriers of diversity will stifle their reach to the top. As more and more achievers are held from reaching pinnacle of achievement, the more they will cease to exist in our society. Once the achievers give up and become part the mediocre club in search of a handout, the society they belong to begins to languish in despair.

El Paso Times’ editor Don Flores should really consider the ramifications of diversity in the work place. By accepting the award of diversification, he is only acknowledging that mediocrity is the order of the day and that individuality is neither accepted nor embraced. His acceptance only stifles the normal evolution of the society he calls home and as the stagnation permeates throughout the community, the beacon of individuality is silenced. The award and Flores’ acceptance signals the Time’s commitment to giving a voice to those that fill the artificial world of percentages and silencing those that really do have something to share with the community.