I’d Rather be Awake than Asleep

I haven’t volunteered my two cents plain in a while. Always lots of reasons for not thinking or thinking and not writing. Last time out I tried to make a case for DEI, admitting that there was not a great answer going forward – I’m first generation so why should I pay for someone else’s sins? I’m a minority too, suffered quotas trying to get ahead. Not my problem – right?

Sorry. Here it is from OUR declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Yup. July 4, 1776! It’s a human thing so by necessity it’s a work in progress. I’d like to think we’re getting smarter, extending those right to be more inclusive at least in theory if not in practice as the years marched on. Took a while to include Black and Women Suffrage, at least on paper. And it’s still an ongoing battle for minorities.

Doesn’t seem as if there’s a level playing field yet when you read some commentators calling VP Harris a DEI hire. Really. And one presidential candidate is still struggling to pronounce her name or figure out her ethnicity. No, I’d say you’d have to be asleep to declare we’ve arrived at a place in time where everything is fair and we all have equal opportunity to advance according to our abilities and desires.

There continue to be cases where housing is “restricted,” where subtle redlining still occurs, where justice is inequitable and innocent people are railroaded through the courts while the rich can play the system one appeal after another.

Will DEI solve this over night or ever? I don’t know. Part of a solution as I suggested was to make more opportunities at the “top” available to more people. Fund more quality education, provide better jobs for all. Heck – you think you’re being excluded, find a solution that extends the opportunity. Help all that wish to advance the ability to go forward, open doors rather than closing them.

A democracy is not a game where there are some winners and the rest losers. The boat floats or sinks – we’re all on board together. DEI is one way to insure we all can take turns at the oars. Sometimes help may be needed. Admittedly finding an equitable way to facilitate this is not easy. But keeping people off the boat is not going to work either. You may have to look deep into your heart to root out prejudice. But remember the verses from the Bible that tell us that there  must be one set of weights and measures for ALL. It’s a prerequisite for society along with just laws.

Here’s another thought. I wrote before how most of my doctors have “funny” names and are clearly not of western European background. Last time I was in the hospital I quickly scanned the listing of doctors by the elevator bank. Most of the names were “foreign.” So, I’m not the only one being kept alive by “illegal aliens.” They’re not – though some would call them so! Yeh, so I’m glad they worked hard and got where they are despite it all – you figure it out.

But they other day I had to bring my car in for servicing. Turns out the ball bearings in a rear wheel needed replacing. There were maybe 10 agents doing the intake. It’s a big dealership. Every gender and every color and judging by names, from all over the world were facilitating the intake. I got doubly lucky. Great guy – Emir, still has family in Libya. Our salesperson for our cars, another Muslim; his family from Serbia. Great people. 

Emir treated me royally; says he treats all his “customers” with respect. Told me he gets the most likes on the social media. The owner comes by to chat, first name basis. Obviously this is a company that functions well inclusively employing all people.

So I started thinking about all the different people I meet on a daily basis when it isn’t a medical emergency: in the grocery store, the local hardware store, the gas station… darned if they’re not all different. You know, we need all these people to help a society run smoothly, and the more that come on board with all their different flavors the better. And if it takes DEI to help us move forward, so be it.

I’d much rather be awake than asleep.

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Ken was a Professor of Mathematics, a ceramicist, a welder, and an IBMer until downsized in 2000. He taught yoga until COVID-19 decided otherwise. He continues writing, living with his wife and beagle in Shorewood, Wisconsin. He enjoys chamber music and mysteries. He’s a homebrewer and runs whitewater rivers. Ken is a writer and his literary works can be found at https://www.kmkbooks.com/

He welcomes feedback on his articles and can be reached at havokjournal@havokmedia.com.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.