Comments on: Diversity as Viewed by a Sample of UNR

By: Shane

Shane — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:03:22 +0000

You're right, I was too vague. Honesty, I didn't have any programs in mind, and I'd be hard pressed to come up with something I've seen at UNR (with a few exceptions) that I felt wasn't pedantic or pejorative in form. I've never seen ASUN do anything useful.

I find campaigns like Own What You Think pretty useless. I don't see how creating a Facebook page accomplishes serious dialog on an issue like integrity and transparency.

The only point of the comment was to help me clarify your stance.

By: Barry Belmont

Barry Belmont — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:39:52 +0000

I think there's a whole slew of hidden assumptions in your posing of that hypothetical situation. I mean who are these programs made by? To what end? By what means?

I'm sure you most likely have in mind the new Own Your Words campaign or whatever it is that the unity commission is up to. But your situation could just as easily be interpreted as a comedian using stereotypes to show their absurdity and make us all laugh.

Other than that, I agree quite readily with the rest of your comment. That is indeed at the heart of the problems of "diversity."

By: Barry Belmont

Barry Belmont — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:34:18 +0000

I believe I agreed as much in the comment above. Differing opinions, good; broader understanding of the cultures of an ever globalized civilization, great; using antiquated ideas of “race” and pigeonholing others to fill quotas, bad.

Also, when trying to prove a point to a Students for Liberty member, never use anecdotal evidence. It pretty much makes that portion of your agrument invalid on its face.

By: Corinna

Corinna — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:10:26 +0000

Barry, my conception of “diversity,” and I think a not uncommon one, is that people should not be judged solely on their traits (race, sex, orientation, religion, etc), but that their traits influence their world view in a way that causes them to have different opinions, ideas, and values.

I don’t think you should appreciate someone’s point of view simply because it comes from a person of a certain race,sex, etc… but rather that possessing those traits may lead them to different, but valid, conclusions than you have reached. Drawing from a personal example, a friend who is first-generation Chinese-American has a very different opinion of what “family” is as compared to my opinion. That doesn’t make her wrong, and in fact it helps broaden my own horizons to listen and try to understand when those ideas about family creep into related realms.

By: Shane

Shane — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:46:17 +0000

Barry, are you opposed to programs designed (not that ASUN has ever done this) to reveal overt stereotypes and latent judgments?

My disgust with the notion of diversity, when witnessed in the puerile contrivances of ASUN, is the lack of understanding of being aware of diversity.

I'm sure this won't surprise anyone but ASUN senators often implicitly and explicitly engage in racist, ageist and sexist stereotyping when making appointments. Diversity often takes the form of unofficial quotas. I get the sense that the conception of diversity achieved by many of my former colleagues was limited to increasing the spectrum of skin colors or the range of ages, irrespective of merit of the candidates.

By: Barry Belmont

Barry Belmont — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:57:35 +0000

What does it even mean to “appreciate diversity”? I respect differing opinions and quite often I am led to new and different ways of thinking because of the various thought patterns of others, but that does not mean I would “appreciate” a lesbian's point of view simply because it comes from a lesbian.

I think my opinion on the matter might be even a little “naive” because I had never encountered any real racism until I came to college. Before that time I didn't even know people cared about such issues…

Ignorance may not be bliss, but I doubt closeted bigotry is any better.

By: Corinna

Corinna — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:45:39 +0000

For someone who has a mission to change the world’s point of view, Barry, I think you would appreciate diversity just a tad more. I have bitched endlessly that UNR thinks it’s more important to have a diversity center than a liberty center; however, I think diversity, at least as a secondary or tertiary value, is okay. ML King’s argument that we should judge one another by the content of our ideas is a good one. If diversity means working against stereotypes that prevent people from making genuine character judgments, I’m all for it. If diversity is about putting up posters and social engineering, no thank you.