Fighting The Excesses Of "Diversity"

The concept of "diversity" is usually used by liberal "progressives" to promote their agenda, not the acceptance of all people and all viewpoints.

A pink triangle would be accepted in most Anoka-Hennepin classrooms. A cross simply would not - separation of church and state, of course.

Not allowing one over the other is prejudicial and attempts to apply labels to groups of people, such as “homophobes,” “right-wing Christians” – essentially what Brian Tommerdahl likes to call “diversity double-speak.”

Tommerdahl, a member of Anoka-Hennepin’s Diversity Committee and a self-proclaimed proponent of what he refers to as “intellectual diversity” or “natural diversity,” has been waging a six- to eight-year struggle to get educators in Anoka-Hennepin to take a different look at the way they approach the subject.

“This is the problem I have with diversity,” he said. “What road are we going to take? Should we not be promoting tolerance for all perspectives?”

If such diversity training were really about respect for diversity, the answer would obviously be a resounding "YES!" But that isn't the goal, as witnessed by the actions of this school district -- actions that are repeated throughout the nation on a daily basis. It's goal is to label some as privileged, and therefore to be despised and reviled, while the non-privileged are to be exalted and promoted.

One of the most troubling developments in Anoka-Hennepin, according to Tommerdahl, is the proposal espoused in last week’s diversity series story by Eric Moore, director of diversity and student services in District 11, to form a hate speech committee to determine what should be considered hate speech and what should not.

“Who’s going to interpret things as hate speech?” he asked. “Who is going to determine that?”

A case in point to which Tommerdahl points is when he held up a decal at a diversity forum that read, “Defend Marriage,” and the pictorial of man and a woman only as married.

“I held it up, and I was basically attacked,” Tommerdahl said.

Almost everyone at the forum agreed that it was a form of hate speech, but when Tommerdahl cited instances of posters being placed at Blaine High School, reading, “Stop Homophobia – End Hate,” Moore denied that the posters even existed, according to Tommerdahl.

Through a series of digital photographs, Tommerdahl proved that the posters existed at Blaine High School, he said.

At another staff development forum, Tommerdahl said he was told by those attending, “your religion promotes hate.”

Tommerdahl openly questions how discrimination based on someone’s religion can be tolerated in the Anoka-Hennepin School District.

He said a multi-perspective is needed in discussing the issue of marriage, both in terms of a legal contract and as the union between a man and a woman under the eyes of God.

Separation of church, Tommerdahl said, has nothing to do with the topic if both perspectives are given and if the subject is brought up in the context of a political or moral discussion.

One view is therefore to be presented as acceptable, while genuinely diverse views are to be presented as hateful and not open for discussion. Schools therefore seek to actively undermine the teaching authority of the families and religions of district students. The district even went so far as bringing in a speaker to directly attack Judaism and Christianity. Only that viewpoint was permitted at the function -- those with other beliefs were not even permitted to distribute literature, much less present a dissenting point of view.

Yet, Tommerdahl remains deeply troubled that, from his vantage point, Anoka-Hennepin explores diversity from only one perspective and even goes as far to invite guest speakers to staff development workshops espousing the belief that Christianity is oppressing people who don’t agree with it.

At a recent staff development workshop, for example, he said representatives of Outfront Minnesota and District 202 were allowed to distribute literature about their resources, but local pastors were not allowed to distribute literature from such groups as Exodus International and Eagles Wings.

Christine Sleeter, a pro-diversity advocate in favor of labeling people and not finding the commonality in all people, according to Tommerdahl, was allowed to speak but there were no representatives from divergent viewpoints.

“We must diminish the American-Christian Judeo thinking and dominance and progress toward a view promoting and supporting a world community,” Sleeter was quoted as saying, according to Tommerdahl. “Children can be our advocates.”

In other words, the school seeks to turn students into little activists -- not educate kids.

That's one more reason that I'm glad that I don't teach in one of these socialist hellholes. If a speaker like the one above showed up at our staff development, at least half of my fellow faculty members would walk out, and the administrator responsible for the booking would be disciplined, if not fired.

Parents -- keep an eye on what goes on at your local schools, especially when it comes to promoting "diversity." That may mean acceptance for everyone but you.