Why am I not surprised? Because DEI is fundamentally a fraud. Like all the other Marxism's derivatives as well as the foundation itself -- Marxism. Even when DEI is done in good faith it only leads to unfairness, exclusion and discrimination. Thus DEI stands for Discrimination, Exclusion, Intimidation. It cannot be improved it needs to be dismantled. Along with the Media-Academia-Propaganda Complex that begot it
"In a culture obsessed with locating every group in a hierarchy of oppression, Jews simply do not count"
Oh yes they do. They count as oppressors. Even Black Jews. Even though hate crimes against Jews are more common than against any other group. On a per person basis, the difference is measured as an order of magnitude.
Relative to Jews, there are more than 10x as many Blacks, more than 10x Hispanics. On a world scale, the numbers are more like 100:1, sometimes more compared to Muslims, Christians and Asians. In addition to Black and Hispanics. If DEI meant anything, this tiny minority would be at the top of the inclusion list. In 2023, Jews are at the top of the exclusion list. It is not an accident.
The spinelessness shown by the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Editors is not acceptable, even as it is the norm. Another Black woman, the Diversity leader at DeAnza College in Cupertino, also lost her job in the past week or so. Fired in her case. Tabia Lee is her name. The college stated her “persistent inability to demonstrate cooperation in working with colleagues and staff” and an “unwillingness to accept constructive criticism.”
Among her 'crimes', she spoke out against anti-Semitism, questioned the use of Latinx and Filipinx -- and openly wondered why the new standard is to capitalize the 'B' in Black, but not the 'W' in White. None of these things are problematic to sane liberals, they are things sane people question. Against this backdrop, she was accused of (it merits repeating) an “unwillingness to accept constructive criticism.”
Today's woke are as bigoted as they come. They show no interest in genuine diversity, equity and inclusion. They are their own cruel and garbage-filled club.
April Powers deserved better. I know this much, I'd rather have her for a friend than any of those who attacked her.
I'm always bemused about the idea of "Islamophobia". The Quran has directives/admonitions to hate and harm Jews (and Christians), explicitly. Rejecting a "religion" (ideology) that calls for hate and harm to Jews should be an obvious move. Muslims should be called upon to renounce the anti-Jewish, anti-Christian, etc., dogma of Islam. If they want to that, halt all immigration of Muslims ... that's not "Islamophobia": it's common sense.
It is clear that Jews are being specifically targeted for assault in America at much higher rates, according to the ubiquity of reports on the subject. It's hard to know who is "the most" attacked for the unreported data. Anyone who would argue those stats or say they are excluding the victimization of other groups is trying to bend victimization-politics to their will. Powers's comment was statistically accurate and her promise to highlight other groups when victimization stats rise for them is what we used to call fair. Hopefully, this pushes Powers out of Identitarian politics and into something that encourages dignity.
Yeah, looks like the Omega hypocrisy variant: companies wipe out the person they hired to foster inclusion (and even titled same) in order to foster anti-semitism. Similar to the teachers via NEA being the book burners themselves because of parents’ resistance to CRT indoctrination and such instead of just teaching factual materials. Wow.
The ire expressed here in response to “inclusion officers” is understandable but somewhat leaving the hypocrisy on the table. How to get beyond the ire? Seems that a big piece is for sensible to VOTE the idiots off of school boards and government. One of my tenets for daily choices has long been “Don’t let the children drive the bus”.
I’m sorry for your pain, April. Maybe you rethink what you want to apply yourself to. Nothing excuses the anti-Jewish monsters you encountered.
Ah, the "tenets of Social Justice"--what an à propos choice of words, for it is indeed a religion, albeit a cruel, hateful one. Episodes like these show the utter futility of trying to reason with the types of people involved, with their endlessly moving targets, rejection of anything that doesn't line up with their dogma, their emotional and personality pathologies, etc.
As I've said many times before though, this is ultimately a failure of the people in authority (here, the head of the organization). Without their endless, craven, cowardice, none of these situations could ever gain traction
We've seen this movie so many times before. I was wondering when "never again" would be replaced by "never mind." Trust our progressive fools to be complicit in helping the Islamist left bring Kristallnacht to America. At what point do decent people need to beat some sense into them? Before they let loose the same evil that spawned a holocaust of unimaginable barbarism.
I am a YA author of Jewish heritage, and I absolutely agree with this analysis. I did not renew my membership this year because I saw the writing on the wall long before this. It's such a shame—this beloved organization completely lost the thread and has caved to the euphoria of being part of a world-changing movement that is beginning to eat its own in a very tragic and gruesome way. I could cry if I weren't so bewildered over it.
To me April’s biggest lesson should not be the crescendo of anti-semitism happening in the US at this moment (perhaps it’s too soon to say “crescendo” — hopefully not — but I digress) but rather the fact she has poured gasoline on a fire which has now engulfed her. And will do so to everyone involved and unfortunately possibly even those not involved. The erosion of civility in the US is due to people like April who champion the anti-American, anti-intellectual, anti-God, anti-science, anti-progress, anti-enlightenment, anti-freedom precepts of the DEI industry. No one should be surprised at how this played out, least of all April Powers.
That being said the rise in anti-semitism should alarm everyone. As should all the rise of all the other “antis”.
Hopefully now that April has been burned by the fire she fueled she will stop, reflect, and start fighting for true American and Enlightenment values such as true equality (of opportunity), true diversity (of thought), and true freedom (of religion and speech) and fight for the American concept which undergirds them all — that each person has Rights given them by God which no other person or government has the right to take away.
I’m torn as to whether or not to feel sorry for April but absolutely wish her the best.
This should send a chill up and down the spines of Jews and EVERY other American who loves freedom and recognizes that freedom is not free. The Holocaust was not even 80 years ago. It happened in my parents lifetime and I was born just a few years after.
What are we waiting for, another Kristalnacht? What will it take for us to wake up and act and call something by it's name.
How many more vomit-inducing apologies from China-owned movie stars or CEO's without chests capitulating to whatever political trend is blowing in the wind or sputum filled Congressional resolutions condemning all hate before we begin to call something by it's name.
Have we forgotten already less than a century removed?
Woe unto us when we look the other way in the face of evil. Woe unto us when the Holocaust returns.
It's on us. We can never say we weren't told. We can never say we didn't know.
It's just so much easier to look the other way. Forget anti-Semitism for a moment - just look at China. We have known for a LONG time what goes on there. But we keep buying their stuff and selling them our real estate and pretending it's not that bad, it's just those wacky Falun Gong, not really that big a deal.
Something that especially caught my attention, interest and applause was a quote from the article (next paragraph). I was pleasantly surprised and encouraged by the mention of a very COURAGEOUS Organization (PEN America) willing to voice their concerns for April Powers while also pointing out a VERY VALID perspective which I, too, had considered an IMPORTANT POINT.
(All emphasis mine)
"PEN America, an organization that works to defend free expression in the U.S., said it was CONCERNED ABOUT THE SITUATION THAT LED TO POWERS' RESIGNATION.
The organization said in a statement on its website: "Issuance of a factual public statement within the scope of a professional's job should not be grounds for discipline or resignation under pressure.
"BIASES AND BIGOTRIES taken on many variations and targets: anti-Black racism, Islamophobia antisemitism, homophobia, sexism and other forms EACH HAVE THEIR OWN DISTINCT CHARACTERISTICS AND ARE WORTHY OF FORCEFUL DENUNCIATION IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. The fight for human rights and dignity must oppose such hatreds in all their forms."
It added: "Absent any such indication, THE CONDEMNATION OF ONE FORM OF HATEFULNESS SHOULD NOT BE READ TO IMPLY INDIFFERENCE TOWARD OTHERS...
I thank PEN America for sharing this wise statement!
Must we now qualify all denouncements of evil? It would seem that those willing to publicly stand against bigotry and hatred should be given the benefit of the doubt that they stand for ALL such evil, whomever it is against.
Thank you for the link to the Newsweek article. What a sleazy group the SCBWI has proven itself to be. This is how they justified their actions after April Powers left. "As an apolitical literary organization, it is not our mission to promote any specific political viewpoint or policy."
Apolitical? Not by a long shot. The fact they hired a DIE officer in the first place shows that they are actually highly political. Their promotional material indicates that "All regional members (in other words, everyone who joins SCBWI) are required to participate in Inclusion training." I wouldn't be surprised if they held separate and mandatory racial indoctrination sessions just for white people.
Oh definitely, Rita. Ironically, April Powers most likely wrote the Inclusion training manual that was later weaponized against her. A bit like the prisoners who dig their own graves and are later executed.
link to the Newsweek interview with Powers. Saddened to see her apologizing when she did nothing wrong. Even more frustrating to see the person who pushed her out, a bigot to the core, not only getting Powers sacked (because she had little choice but to resign, even in the management didn't force her to), but able to somehow claim the moral high ground despite the obvious bigotry and hatred.
Why am I not surprised? Because DEI is fundamentally a fraud. Like all the other Marxism's derivatives as well as the foundation itself -- Marxism. Even when DEI is done in good faith it only leads to unfairness, exclusion and discrimination. Thus DEI stands for Discrimination, Exclusion, Intimidation. It cannot be improved it needs to be dismantled. Along with the Media-Academia-Propaganda Complex that begot it
"In a culture obsessed with locating every group in a hierarchy of oppression, Jews simply do not count"
Oh yes they do. They count as oppressors. Even Black Jews. Even though hate crimes against Jews are more common than against any other group. On a per person basis, the difference is measured as an order of magnitude.
Relative to Jews, there are more than 10x as many Blacks, more than 10x Hispanics. On a world scale, the numbers are more like 100:1, sometimes more compared to Muslims, Christians and Asians. In addition to Black and Hispanics. If DEI meant anything, this tiny minority would be at the top of the inclusion list. In 2023, Jews are at the top of the exclusion list. It is not an accident.
The spinelessness shown by the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Editors is not acceptable, even as it is the norm. Another Black woman, the Diversity leader at DeAnza College in Cupertino, also lost her job in the past week or so. Fired in her case. Tabia Lee is her name. The college stated her “persistent inability to demonstrate cooperation in working with colleagues and staff” and an “unwillingness to accept constructive criticism.”
Among her 'crimes', she spoke out against anti-Semitism, questioned the use of Latinx and Filipinx -- and openly wondered why the new standard is to capitalize the 'B' in Black, but not the 'W' in White. None of these things are problematic to sane liberals, they are things sane people question. Against this backdrop, she was accused of (it merits repeating) an “unwillingness to accept constructive criticism.”
Today's woke are as bigoted as they come. They show no interest in genuine diversity, equity and inclusion. They are their own cruel and garbage-filled club.
April Powers deserved better. I know this much, I'd rather have her for a friend than any of those who attacked her.
This was Obama's Policy on Israel -
Imagine there's no jihad
It's easy if you try
No Christian Persecution
It's all a big fat lie
Imagine all the Muslims
Living peaceful li-i-ives
You may say I'm a schemer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine there's no Israel
It isn't hard to do
No need to get excited
If a Muslim kills a Jew
Imagine all the people
Living life in pea-ea-eace
You may say I'm a schemer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no America
I wonder if you can
No more southern border
Just a brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the wor-or-orld
You may say I'm a schemer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will live as one
(Under Shariah law)
I'm always bemused about the idea of "Islamophobia". The Quran has directives/admonitions to hate and harm Jews (and Christians), explicitly. Rejecting a "religion" (ideology) that calls for hate and harm to Jews should be an obvious move. Muslims should be called upon to renounce the anti-Jewish, anti-Christian, etc., dogma of Islam. If they want to that, halt all immigration of Muslims ... that's not "Islamophobia": it's common sense.
It is clear that Jews are being specifically targeted for assault in America at much higher rates, according to the ubiquity of reports on the subject. It's hard to know who is "the most" attacked for the unreported data. Anyone who would argue those stats or say they are excluding the victimization of other groups is trying to bend victimization-politics to their will. Powers's comment was statistically accurate and her promise to highlight other groups when victimization stats rise for them is what we used to call fair. Hopefully, this pushes Powers out of Identitarian politics and into something that encourages dignity.
Disgusting
Turns out Jews are white. Who knew?
Yeah, looks like the Omega hypocrisy variant: companies wipe out the person they hired to foster inclusion (and even titled same) in order to foster anti-semitism. Similar to the teachers via NEA being the book burners themselves because of parents’ resistance to CRT indoctrination and such instead of just teaching factual materials. Wow.
The ire expressed here in response to “inclusion officers” is understandable but somewhat leaving the hypocrisy on the table. How to get beyond the ire? Seems that a big piece is for sensible to VOTE the idiots off of school boards and government. One of my tenets for daily choices has long been “Don’t let the children drive the bus”.
I’m sorry for your pain, April. Maybe you rethink what you want to apply yourself to. Nothing excuses the anti-Jewish monsters you encountered.
And yet Jews will overwhelmingly vote Dem in the next elections.
Ah, the "tenets of Social Justice"--what an à propos choice of words, for it is indeed a religion, albeit a cruel, hateful one. Episodes like these show the utter futility of trying to reason with the types of people involved, with their endlessly moving targets, rejection of anything that doesn't line up with their dogma, their emotional and personality pathologies, etc.
As I've said many times before though, this is ultimately a failure of the people in authority (here, the head of the organization). Without their endless, craven, cowardice, none of these situations could ever gain traction
We've seen this movie so many times before. I was wondering when "never again" would be replaced by "never mind." Trust our progressive fools to be complicit in helping the Islamist left bring Kristallnacht to America. At what point do decent people need to beat some sense into them? Before they let loose the same evil that spawned a holocaust of unimaginable barbarism.
I am a YA author of Jewish heritage, and I absolutely agree with this analysis. I did not renew my membership this year because I saw the writing on the wall long before this. It's such a shame—this beloved organization completely lost the thread and has caved to the euphoria of being part of a world-changing movement that is beginning to eat its own in a very tragic and gruesome way. I could cry if I weren't so bewildered over it.
To me April’s biggest lesson should not be the crescendo of anti-semitism happening in the US at this moment (perhaps it’s too soon to say “crescendo” — hopefully not — but I digress) but rather the fact she has poured gasoline on a fire which has now engulfed her. And will do so to everyone involved and unfortunately possibly even those not involved. The erosion of civility in the US is due to people like April who champion the anti-American, anti-intellectual, anti-God, anti-science, anti-progress, anti-enlightenment, anti-freedom precepts of the DEI industry. No one should be surprised at how this played out, least of all April Powers.
That being said the rise in anti-semitism should alarm everyone. As should all the rise of all the other “antis”.
Hopefully now that April has been burned by the fire she fueled she will stop, reflect, and start fighting for true American and Enlightenment values such as true equality (of opportunity), true diversity (of thought), and true freedom (of religion and speech) and fight for the American concept which undergirds them all — that each person has Rights given them by God which no other person or government has the right to take away.
I’m torn as to whether or not to feel sorry for April but absolutely wish her the best.
This should send a chill up and down the spines of Jews and EVERY other American who loves freedom and recognizes that freedom is not free. The Holocaust was not even 80 years ago. It happened in my parents lifetime and I was born just a few years after.
What are we waiting for, another Kristalnacht? What will it take for us to wake up and act and call something by it's name.
How many more vomit-inducing apologies from China-owned movie stars or CEO's without chests capitulating to whatever political trend is blowing in the wind or sputum filled Congressional resolutions condemning all hate before we begin to call something by it's name.
Have we forgotten already less than a century removed?
Woe unto us when we look the other way in the face of evil. Woe unto us when the Holocaust returns.
It's on us. We can never say we weren't told. We can never say we didn't know.
It's just so much easier to look the other way. Forget anti-Semitism for a moment - just look at China. We have known for a LONG time what goes on there. But we keep buying their stuff and selling them our real estate and pretending it's not that bad, it's just those wacky Falun Gong, not really that big a deal.
Thank you, Zeke for sharing this link to the Newsweek interview with April Powers. (https://www.newsweek.com/april-powers-ex-scbwi-diversity-chief-sent-death-threats-after-sharing-antisemitism-post-1607181) I found that the reading of this interview shed even a bit more light on April Powers personal perspective on the incident (for which I applaud her concern).
Something that especially caught my attention, interest and applause was a quote from the article (next paragraph). I was pleasantly surprised and encouraged by the mention of a very COURAGEOUS Organization (PEN America) willing to voice their concerns for April Powers while also pointing out a VERY VALID perspective which I, too, had considered an IMPORTANT POINT.
(All emphasis mine)
"PEN America, an organization that works to defend free expression in the U.S., said it was CONCERNED ABOUT THE SITUATION THAT LED TO POWERS' RESIGNATION.
The organization said in a statement on its website: "Issuance of a factual public statement within the scope of a professional's job should not be grounds for discipline or resignation under pressure.
"BIASES AND BIGOTRIES taken on many variations and targets: anti-Black racism, Islamophobia antisemitism, homophobia, sexism and other forms EACH HAVE THEIR OWN DISTINCT CHARACTERISTICS AND ARE WORTHY OF FORCEFUL DENUNCIATION IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. The fight for human rights and dignity must oppose such hatreds in all their forms."
It added: "Absent any such indication, THE CONDEMNATION OF ONE FORM OF HATEFULNESS SHOULD NOT BE READ TO IMPLY INDIFFERENCE TOWARD OTHERS...
I thank PEN America for sharing this wise statement!
Must we now qualify all denouncements of evil? It would seem that those willing to publicly stand against bigotry and hatred should be given the benefit of the doubt that they stand for ALL such evil, whomever it is against.
Thank you for the link to the Newsweek article. What a sleazy group the SCBWI has proven itself to be. This is how they justified their actions after April Powers left. "As an apolitical literary organization, it is not our mission to promote any specific political viewpoint or policy."
Apolitical? Not by a long shot. The fact they hired a DIE officer in the first place shows that they are actually highly political. Their promotional material indicates that "All regional members (in other words, everyone who joins SCBWI) are required to participate in Inclusion training." I wouldn't be surprised if they held separate and mandatory racial indoctrination sessions just for white people.
https://www.scbwi.org/equity-and-inclusion/
Thanks for the added information, Nancy2001. I'm always interested in anything that might help to broaden my understanding!
You're very welcome, Rita. And I found your information was more than helpful, too.
Thank you, Nancy! Glad to know that I added to the substance of this crucial discussion.
All of us together we can tackle this "angel of light" and show the error in what is being espoused.
Oh definitely, Rita. Ironically, April Powers most likely wrote the Inclusion training manual that was later weaponized against her. A bit like the prisoners who dig their own graves and are later executed.
too much...
link to the Newsweek interview with Powers. Saddened to see her apologizing when she did nothing wrong. Even more frustrating to see the person who pushed her out, a bigot to the core, not only getting Powers sacked (because she had little choice but to resign, even in the management didn't force her to), but able to somehow claim the moral high ground despite the obvious bigotry and hatred.
https://www.newsweek.com/april-powers-ex-scbwi-diversity-chief-sent-death-threats-after-sharing-antisemitism-post-1607181
Thank you for the link, Zeke.