(Originally published in WND.)
What is DEI, you ask? DEI, for the most part, stands for diversity, equity and inclusion, and several consultation groups have been pushing it, insisting that it’s a “hot trend” when it comes to teaching our youth.
Only … it hasn’t. The fact of the matter is that anything fueled by DEI seems to meet with disaster. Several businesses, such as the makers of Bud Light and Target, have lost billions behind controversial DEI-based decisions. And, for that matter, Disney has also lost a lot of money trying to implement DEI messaging into their films.
But it’s also exalted on college campuses, in the hopes of teaching “diversity” to others. It’s been a factor when it comes to the growing number of protests on said campuses, resulting in thousands of dollars of damage, hundreds of arrests and some schools switching to online teaching as a result. That’s not what college is supposed to be about.
However, it appears that some schools, like the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, have had enough.
This week, the school opted to slash funding for diversity, equity and inclusion. To the tune of $2.3 million. The vote was prompted following the violent anti-Israel protests that have ravaged college campuses across the country – including UNC.
With that, it’s diverting this money into a source it believes will provide better safety to the school – the campus police.
This is a wonderful decision. Let me tell you why.
Across the country, our police have been woefully underfunded, resulting in hundreds of officers leaving their post, either by retiring or simply leaving everything behind because it’s just too much. The reasoning behind this is absolutely asinine, with so many people believing in the messaging of “defund the police,” brought on by – you guessed it – protesters.
But with this one move, UNC has set a new standard. Its leadership believes in its school, and the students. Diversity can only go so far before it begins to compromise safety, which is clearly what’s happening at a number of these universities. So now, the money will go back to the people that can make the campus safe. And what’s more, it seems like other schools are considering taking the same route.
Budget committee vice-chair Marty Kotis noted it best following the vote, stating, “It’s important to consider the needs of 30,000 students, not just the 100 or so that may want to disrupt the university’s operations.”
Exactly. For too long, the DEI way of thinking only affected a certain few, benefiting them to get their message across. But all it’s done to the rest of the people out there is set them aside, insisting that their safety be compromised in an effort for this message to be heard.
But no more. Along with UNC, several businesses have also sworn off DEI, insisting that it’s not the answer when it comes to taking care of their people. Back to basics, plain and simple. People don’t want to celebrate “messaging”; they want to celebrate being people.
If you need more about how bad this is, several Republican lawmakers have actually noted how the DEI framework at many colleges actually favors the Palestinian cause, ignoring what’s happening to Jewish students. So in the hopes of creating diversity, it’s instead stonewalled this group of people that deserve our protection as much as anyone else.
DEI just a bad way of thinking, and fortunately, these schools are starting to do something about it. They understand that it’s not about getting out the message; it’s a matter of keeping the peace. Imagine if the rest of the country followed this example. Maybe one day.
For now, I applaud UNC for taking the first step and making things right for its other students. I do hope other schools and businesses follow the initiative. I understand the need for expression, sure. But for the sake of safety? For the sake of livelihood?
Some things are better left unsaid.
