I was laid up with a cold today, so I missed the president’s press conference regarding last night’s midair collision.
Perhaps it’s better I didn’t.
I did, however, see a clip of the comment he made that eeeeeeeveryone is talking about.
First, let me preempt a couple of arguments:
I had great hope for President Biden’s administration; but was bitterly disappointed with several of his actions – especially in the last six months or so.
There is no single political party to which I give unquestioned allegiance.
Like at the monastery where I do my retreats, I pray for President Trump often.
That said, Wow…
And I have a question:
Can anyone explain to my daughter why diversity, equity and inclusion is somehow responsible for the tragic crash as the president asserts?
Could someone sit with Julia and help her understand how the adaptive basketball game that she went to last night and cheered on her friends is hurting the common good? Or how her neurotypical friend Brett is being harmed or “held back” by playing frisbee with her in their general education gym class?
Friends, in what context on the planet would the president’s words even remotely approach being appropriate?
The words of our leaders shape our collective imagination. Today, President Trump failed. Spectacularly.
And even if you voted for him, it’s important to recognize it and say so.
I accept that DEI programs can go off the rails. In fact, bring me any independently verified antidote of a DEI initiative inappropriately applied, and I will generally accept your assertion – though I reserve the right to gently push back in some cases.
Any policy or program, taken to a logical extreme eventually hits a tipping point where it does more harm than good.
However, DEI programs, properly applied, can do great good – for everyone.
They help us leverage the widest possible range of perspective and experience to tackle the world‘s most perplexing problems.
They connect us to the reality of our history as a nation – in all of its majesty and complexity.
They give Julia the opportunity and supports to learn alongside the friends and community she has known her entire life. She learns at her speed – they at theirs. And everyone is better for it. 
They do not divide us into “victim” and “oppressor”, but unite us in our common humanity.  What’s more, they create an environment of courage where we can humbly but firmly cry “wrong” when someone’s words or actions are out of line – even when it’s a president. 
I’m still a little under the weather. That was what I came up with just off the top of my head. Feel free to drop your peaceful ideas in the comments.
I am also mindful that you may disagree – vigorously. I respect that and would be happy to meet up off-line and talk it through with you.
But just understand I will be bringing Julia along so you can explain it to both of us.
The first round is on me. Julia prefers chocolate milk…
18 Responses
I don’t understand it either man. You have people here that will stand-up and speak out with you. People who care and will support. Thank you for sharing.
Appreciate that, friend
Beautifully written with an incredibly valuable perspective of your family’s lived experience Chris. Thanks for taking the time to share and invite us on a journey to learn and grow.
Beautifully stated, Chris. Do you mind if I share this?
Of course!
I mean, share it!
I don’t know how you reply to someone who states that DEI reduced the qualifications for ATC and pilots, and then quoted the “reduced” standards, and they were his from his first administration. DEI only gives opportunity, you still have to meet basic standards! Unfortunately, it’s all about giving billionaire supporters what they want. I to pray for Trump and the people surrounding him to exercise compassion and live up to true American values, which are true Christian values. Be well my friend
These are interesting times. But reality will reveal itself and Love will win. Be well and keep praying, friend!
Thank you for these words, your daughter and others I work with are some of the greatest people in the world, certainly better than many in Washington D.C. Thanks again for sharing your heart.
Excellent write up.
Simply put, nothing wrong with DEI until it is based on percentages and quotas. That’s the problem with the current left based, humanist view suggesting every organization private, public and state owned should be diverse based on some man based measure. The idea that forcing quotas and percentages on organizations will create a DEI based society does not correct a problem, it creates more.
DEI should be biblically based and with the Word as a guild. However, this is a secular country with ill placed ideals in separation of church and state makes this impossible.
Julia needs to know that her relationship with God is first. Placing Jesus in her heart and seeking the Lord’s measures, not what the world measures.
Julia needs to know that life will never be fair. She needs to know that with a fallen and sinful world DEI is a great goal but will never be met until Christ returns. We living in the world can and should try to make life better for all people’s and work together in effort to unite and not divide. The current DEI agenda is divisional because it forces people to accept false narrative that everybody deserves a fair shake and everybody can have the same opportunities and outcomes. This is simply not possible. The Lord explains that “nobody is good”. The current DEI narrative is based on “Critical Theories” where those with less have the moral high ground and therefore anyone saying “no” to them is the enemy.
Julia should know, “no” is often a great motivator to be better and work at making it a “yes” but the reality is not everyone can have the “yes”. People are not the same. Even people who don’t have obvious external “obstacles” still have other obstacles like aptitudes, education, personality issues, poor family situations, etc… to believe and tell someone each and every person can have a diverse, exclusive, and inclusive opportunity with equal outcome is simply not healthy because it is not possible with a fallen world. Reality sucks. Teach her this in love, kindness and most of all with a foundation knowing God’s love for her.
There has been wonderful advances in inclusive opportunities and I believe Trump is in full support of it. Just not on a quota based process.
I think we will learn in short order the truth behind the crash. I think we will learn that it was not a result of DEI recipient making a mistake. However, it will result in organizations to evaluate to make sure competency is present as required to perform various “high demanding” occupations. There will likely be a period of set backs but, will not result in any form of mass firing of DEI recipients.
In the long run, believe this will result in opening more opportunities that make sense. At least to an extent in that of a fallen world.
I am not a fan of DEI as I think merit is the way to go. However, recent comments were premature and made me think of how DEI can place people in an unwarranted box. Just because a company or institution has a DEI program, hires that are minorities, differently abled, or of a certain race/gender are viewed as being hired/included based ONLY on their minority status. What if the person is wholly qualified? They aren’t recognized for their qualifications but for their skin color, gender, etc. Therefore, I think it can be harmful.
Thanks for speaking up from your good, beautiful, and kind perspective, Chris. I’m still struggling to be kind and prayerful while feeling deeply dismayed.
My eyes are watery. You know how much this blog meant to me, Chris. Thank you for being a voice for a community that needs it so desperately. I need it so desperately. I’m grateful for you. Love you friend. My heart hurts. ❤️
Hey Eric – thank you for bearing with me as you read through it . You have a lot of ideas in this comment, but let me pick out a couple of things.
I agree with you that when we base any value on quotas and policies, we can get off track and the value itself loses credibility with those who have been hurt by the policies or quotas. I think that is very much the case with DEI.
I’m of the mind that we don’t need to wait for Christ’s return to taste the beauty of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus himself said the time has come and the kingdom of is at hand. We need wait for nothing. We can start building for common flourishing in the here and now. It takes self sacrifice – maybe a lot – but it pays in comparison to what Christ did for us.
And as I already stated, DEI at its best does not separate into oppressor and oppressed. And I think “critical theories“ is an overused and unhelpful term.
Finally, I wish I were as sanguine as you regarding Mr. Trump’s support of properly. The way he chose his words built no trust with me or anyone I’m in relationship in the disabled community.
I bid you peace.
Hey Tracy – as I mentioned in my post, DEI programs improperly applied, focusing on quotas or specific policies or dividing “oppressor“ and “oppressed“ are not helpful.
I think advocates and detractors alike focus too much on, “how many minorities can we get to fill this position” instead of “what accommodations would we need to make so that a qualified person gets an opportunity?” to the degradation of the credibility of the very idea.
But let me take an opposite tack here:
What does an organization sacrifice if a qualified person who doesn’t have a lifetime of family connections is passed over for consideration?
What do we lose if a highly qualified person with a disability is eliminated from consideration because the organization doesn’t want to bother to explore what accommodations need to be made so that they could do the job?
When we fail to explore the possibilities of how we could be better by including differently abled, life experienced, gendered people, we lose a little bit of our humanity.
That said, quotas = bad, values = very, very good. A person who gets the job solely because of skin color = not so good. A person who gets an opportunity at a fair shot = I can live with that – even if I have to give a little.
We need to “scooch over and make room” a little more often. It reflects the heart of God and we’re better people when we do.
Thanks, friend
Thanks, friend. It can be pretty exhausting. I’m gonna spend some time figuring out a rhythm where we can all engage from our fullness instead of arguing out of our emptiness.
My heart hurts with you, friend. Seek God, work and advocate from your rest. We need to see the essential humanity in those who disagree with us.
Chris, I cannot and do not blame anyone who struggles with Trump’s hard rhetoric. It irritates me too.
Have you read his book “Art of the deal”? I think that’s the title. If you have or have not, I suggest looking at it. His style of verbal uneasiness is part of this. Truly, one needs to look past this and look at his actions. Those actions do not support taking away any benefits your daughter has enjoyed or will enjoy. Trump purposely causes verbal disruption to get people talking and at the table. I think what really sucks is when he makes comments and the investigation(s) come up contrary, he doesn’t show acknowledgement that he was wrong. Someone as crude as he, needs to do more of that especially as a statesmen-IMO.
Still, Trump is a leader in our fallen world and he is flawed but he is still better than the alternative.
About Christ’ beauty on earth now, yes, we can have it and we are told to be confident for it but that beauty is how the Lord defines it, not us.
I’ve seen and followed your pics and it’s clear Julia has enjoyed the Lord’s beauty with loving and engaged parents who are showing her God’s love. That beauty unfortunately is in the fallen world and no matter how hard we try, the world is going to knock her off her feet, beat at her and try to keep her down as the world does for anyone else. As the quote paraphrased “it’s not how hard we get hit, it’s how we get up from it that matters” The fact Julia might be learning this now only makes her stronger, earlier and benefitting from it. That’s what matters. Preparing her for the hardships of a beating down world. All children need this lessen because most children experience the world’s beating. Especially once they make the decision to follow the Lord and the world takes aim.
Chris I know I’m using hard words. I chose that because I am not a good orator or writer and I want the points clear. Tone should not be applied.