The Fix Is In, and It’s Okay
The Maundy Monday Newsletter - This Week in History March 24 - 30.
I will never claim I am the most intelligent person. This blog has an adjective in its title that suggests it’s not exceptionally good but more satisfactory. That being said, I am easily the most humble person you know.
I am smart enough to know how ridiculous the whole plan to erase “DEI” from all aspects of our conversation concerning society is.
In case you haven’t been reading OKH, “DEI” stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, a framework to ensure that the United States isn’t a place of uniformity, bias, and exclusion.
Yet somehow, the Trump Administration has decided that DEI stands for “Don’t Empathize, Idiots.” Somehow, frameworks to ensure participation for everyone are a terrible thing. Instead, white men and white women who support these white men think they are the only people who have the merit to hold any position.
But like a stupid Facebook argument I got into when planes crashed into helicopters here in DC, we cannot hire blind people to be air traffic control people because being able to see legally is a requirement. Yet, for some, hearing the president of the United States proclaim that DEI was the reason for this tragic accident is enough for them to believe it.
The idea that DEI concepts hurt us flies in the face of our American history. The United States has a long record of DEI programs that still stand today. I want to highlight one example:
In 1936, Congress passed, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Randolph-Sheppard Act. This federal law prioritizes blind people who operate vending machines on federal property. It streamlines the state licensing process and allows people with this specific disability to earn an income and be entrepreneurs in an industry with advanced technology that is easy to adapt and scale.
There are over 2,000 independent vending machine operators throughout the country. When you are at a rest stop or visiting a national park, the chance is extremely high that the vending machines you see there are run by Americans who are blind. This could only happen because other Americans passed laws to protect, promote, and level the playing field for people to be included.
When honoring our diversity, sometimes we need to fix mistakes like this: On March 28, 1990, Jesse Ownes posthumously received the Congressional Gold Medal. After destroying the Nazis in the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin, Germany, Owens returned to the States and the racism he experienced when he left.
We didn’t honor him until ten years after his death. But Jesse Owens wasn’t a “DEI” athlete – he was an American athlete. Hopefully, we will get back to the time when we wouldn’t use these terms as pejoratives.
Okay, let's highlight what else happened this week. As a reminder, these events celebrate their anniversary, ending in 5 or 0. Here's what I got:
1. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that an anonymous tip does not justify a stop-and-frisk action against a person on March 28, 2000. In 1995, an Anonymous person, but not MY Anonymous, tipped off police about a black male who appeared to have a gun on him while riding the bus. The cops showed up, didn’t see anything they could be suspicious of, but identified a man who fit the description, frisked him, found a gun, and arrested him. In a unanimous decision, Florida vs. J. L., the Court ruled you can’t do that. I bet you could get away with that now and ship the person to our Gulag in El Salvador.
2. The 15th Amendment to the Constitution was enacted on March 30, 1870. The right to vote and not be discriminated against because of race, color, or servitude barely passed. It’s a top-15 amendment, but states like California and Oregon didn’t support it. I’m confident they do now.
3. President John Tyler was born on March 30, 1790. The 10th president, who assumed power after the death of William Henry Harrison in 1841, showed the country that it could happen peacefully. Still, I ranked him 38th in the OKH Presidential Rankings because he was buried in the Confederate Flag.
I head back to Ohio tomorrow for a quick trip. I mentioned a few weeks ago that my Aunt passed away. Well, her funeral is on Wednesday. Anonymous and Blue will hold down the fort at home while I’m away. Thanks to everyone for the continued prayers and best wishes.
Also, a quick note that my mother completed radiation treatment last week. She got to ring the bell and everything. She had a cancerous tumor removed from her left year toward the end of last year. I visited her when I was back in Ohio last month. I’m grateful she will have this past her as we celebrate her only sister this week.
Have a great week. Welcome to a bunch of new subscribers. Feel free to hit the like button! I appreciate the support. See you on Friday!
Okay,
Chris
