Posted on 02/12/2010 9:07:41 AM PST by bsaunders
In a World gone mad with diversity, perhaps it is time to introduce a modicum of discretion. Perhaps in a World of universal acceptance, the time has come to find a place for discrimination. Before anybody starts screaming, “Bigot, hater, racist, Neanderthal, knuckle-dragger,” or whatever epithet is in vogue for those refusing to fall before today’s universal thought police, let me point out that once upon a time having a discriminating taste for certain things was considered prudent and the sign of sophistication. By discrimination I mean setting standards to be met, another concept that has died in this equal outcome based society. What ever happened to individualism, to merit, to recognizing accomplishment above expectations instead of today’s insistence that everyone perform uniformly only the minimum required and group effort is heralded over individual effort?
We have the Winter Olympics coming to Vancouver, Canada. Oddly enough, they actually reward superior performances with medals. Not only do they give out medals, they give out three different medals, Gold, Silver, and Bronze for the best, second place and third place finishing competitors respectively. Oddly enough, only the top three in each contest receive a medal. There are no, what might they be, pewter medals to the rest of the athletes simply for participating in the games. Imagine that, actual recognition for superior accomplishments. How did this measure of athletes survive in this era of forced total equality?
Yet, if you follow some of the more liberal area schools you would find that a goodly number have rules that forbid keeping score in their sports programs. They have even developed new rules for many of the games. The new and inspired equal outcome rules for baseball probably bring this point home best. No longer does an inning consist of three outs and you take the field and the other team comes to bat. Now each team comes to bat and all nine players get to bat and then they switch and the other team has all of their nine players to bat. Of course, keeping score is completely out of the question. At the end of the “game” both teams applaud the other team’s participation, just as long as neither team is seen considered more accomplished, heavens forbid.
I tend to wonder what affect such a system of expectations and achievement being brought to the lowest common denominator would have on our world. I imagine Baskin Robbins being limited to at most three flavors, chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Airliners will offer only coach class seating. All sporting events would no longer keep score and the rules would be changed so both teams get exactly the same chances and results. No more Stanley Camp, no more World Series, no more Super Bowl, no more March Madness, and of course, no more Olympic Games. When a team of mountain climbers climbs to the top of the Matterhorn or Mount Everest, or any other epic climbing achievement, they will get the same recognition as climbers of an average mountain in the Appalachians. Some of our school systems have already gone to the equal outcome based grades, sports, and other areas usually consisting of rating systems.
Recently some school systems have called for new report cards that would not have letter grades or ratings of any persuasion. In this new improved system, no student will be allowed to fail and no student will be seen to excel above any other student. The emphasis is that all students are seen to have attained equal levels of achievement. These ideas of forced herding of all into a category of equality despite any real differences in performance or ability is simply beyond my ability to grasp any benefit to a world of zero personal achievement. Perhaps what I am seeking is when was the death of exceptionalism implemented? Why do we now accept mediocrity in place of striving for excellence?
What exactly is meant by ‘mad with diversity’?
Thanks
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