ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 3, 1996 TAG: 9602050042
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRISTOPHER O. BIRD
IT IS called "inclusiveness" or "cultural diversity" or "political correctness." We're afraid to talk about it, but we know it when we see it. It's epitomized by magazine photos that show exactly four people - one black, one white, one Asian and one (pick one) Hispanic or native American. Two of them are women. The white person is disabled.
Such scenes insult our intelligence. When was the last time you saw a group of real people representing every significant minority group in America?
They also insult our sense of fair play. The vast majority of us aren't prejudiced, and don't need continual heavy-handed reminders about our responsibility to be open-minded.
More troubling, though, is the implication in such depictions that our society is fully integrated, and that minorities have achieved equal success. We all know that isn't true. Contrived "inclusiveness" simply allows us to pretend things are the way we wish they were.
It all started with the token black some years ago, followed by the token Hispanic and Indian. To make sure we get the point, token Hispanics always have names, and token Indians wear headbands or curio-shop jewelry.
Next came token Orientals. Not that Asian-Americans needed or wanted help. They were added so that the other groups didn't feel patronized, and because we felt guilty leaving them out.
Then came the token handicapped individual. The only reason we don't have token gays is that making sure we get the point would offend them.
The latest fad is to show more than one black to avoid the appearance of tokenism. What next? Arab-Americans? Seniors? Obese people? This thing has a momentum of its own.
The most obvious problem with all of this is that it's a lot of trouble, and not necessary. In fact, it's annoying. Another problem is that we're running out of "parts" to accommodate all the minorities we have identified. If you don't believe that, try watching children's television shows on the Public Broadcasting Service. Virtually every nonpuppet is now a minority member.
A related problem is "inclusiveness inflation." We're now suspected of being prejudiced if we don't play the game. The only way to appear truly open-minded is to outdo the others. And when someone like Colin Powell actually makes it on his own, we overreact. I would have voted for him, but he isn't the Messiah.
Governmental inclusiveness culminated in the Clinton administration, where race, ethnicity and gender were apparently the criteria in filling most positions. But it isn't a coincidence that most of Clinton's appointments of women and minorities turned out to have problems. These included conflicts of interest (Mike Espy, Ron Brown), an extramarital scandal (Henry Cisneros), extremist views (Joycelyn Elders, Lani Guinier), and an astonishing lack of understanding of their jobs (Hazel O'Leary). Clinton's female and minority nominees were never screened for such factors.
Accidentally, Janet Reno turned out to be an excellent choice. But another good one, Dee Dee Myers, was let go for not fitting in with the boys in the back room. A true feminist, Clinton.
Note, too, that Clinton didn't hire women or minorities for positions that were too critical to mess around with - secretary of state, defense, head of the Central Intelligence Agency, chief of staff. But then the Clintons weren't inclusive when it came to their daughter's education either - Chelsea attends a mostly white, private school. And you can bet, if Clinton were in the Emergency Room having the big one, Hillary would choose a white doctor over a black one.
Inclusiveness isn't about egalitarianism. It's about demonstrating one's egalitarianism. A white liberal phenomenon, it's a way to remind nonliberals that "minority members are people, too." Gosh. Mostly, though, motivated by fear of rejection, it's a way of heading off criticism before it occurs. In the end, inclusivists just want to be liked and accepted.
Christopher O. Bird of Riner is a retired Air Force officer.
LENGTH: Medium: 74 linesby CNB