Wednesday, March 21, 2001
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Wednesday, March 21, 2001 |
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At the crossroads: Equality or spoils? By AMY RILEY There are those in our society whose very livelihood depends on keeping us divided based on our personal identification with various groups by race, gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs, economic status, and a host of other distinguishing traits that make each human a unique specimen. We see this everyday in media, in our schools and workplaces, and in our political arenas to be sure. We are a melting pot. The greatest indicator of our nation's demographic comes every 10 years in the U.S. Census. The 2000 U.S. Census results have revealed a fairly dramatic shift in minority distribution, with Latinos emerging as equal in number to African-Americans as the largest minority groups in the country. With the dramatic shift in population statistics, it seems that we may soon be poised at a fork in the road to true equality in this country. The choices we make may make all the difference or no difference at all depending on which road we choose. Along with minority group growth comes political clout, and increasingly we see more and more demand for preferences in policy and government to promote equal access to long-term success. This has already caused a flurry of competition in our own state legislature as those representing the expanding Spanish-speaking population are seeking to level the state's economic preference playing field designed to help stimulate economic growth and prosperity in minority-owned businesses. This was met with resistance by African-American legislators who felt they had worked too long and too hard and come too far to see some other ethnic group reap the benefits of their hard work. But is it feasible to have emerging minority political powerhouses vying for their fair share of the preference pie? Or is there a better way? Are we destined to be a melting pot or a seething cauldron of competing interests? As more and more people pour into this country from all over the world, it becomes increasingly impossible to "create" equality through mandated preferences. In fact, by definition, mandated preferences are a misguided effort to correct the reality of inequality with a remedy of inequality. The real path to true equality lies in seeing all people as equals. That is an impossibility as long as our government continues to mandate that we focus on our differences. The only real path to true success is the path forged through diligence and hard work, often in spite of hardships and environmental circumstances. Political parties and policies capitalize on governing by division. They win support by pandering to special interests. To take "diversity" out of the political equation could radically change the climate of modern politics, from one of serving groups to serving "the people." When people come here from other parts of the world, they do so for the opportunity they will have when they get here. They don't come for the special preferences they might be accorded; they come for the chance to live in freedom and live out the American dream. That dream isn't dead, it's just tarnished. It is brightest for those who fought the hardest to achieve it. It is, in the end, less dear to those who have to share credit for the accomplishment or owe their success to special preferences. Rather than focus on differences, why not focus on the sameness of our uniquely American experience? When we all operate under the same set of rules, ultimately we will see each other as equals. It doesn't have to be a dream. It could be a reality in our lifetimes. It all depends on which road we take from here. [Your comments are welcome: ARileyFreePress@aol.com.]
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