Are DEI and Free Speech on a Collision Course at Top Schools? On the Other Hand

Higher education diversity policies are in the spotlight, as college presidents from Harvard, MIT and Penn face backlash for their tepid response to heated rhetoric on campus. Are DEI and free speech on a collision course in elite education? Jon Fortt is here to weigh in.

[@tylermiller3879]

I agree with much of what was said, but one key area that I think I disagree with is that DEI can be sensible or reasonable.
I can acknowledge an admirable intention or goal. However, the fundamental problem of DEI is how it is measured?
When answering that question, many people either as a default or even through reluctance land on equity or the "E" as part of the DEI landscape. Equity by definition means equal or fair results. If you use the word fair, you have to have an authority that gets to pick and choose what is fair. Obviously, this will always result in a bias of whomever you select as the decision maker. If you say equal results, then you have to discount or hold someone back because of their skills, abilities, and effort because I think we can all acknowledge that some people will achieve more through their talent, their skills that they have developed, and their effort level.
The second problem with DEI as a whole is that it takes non-discrimination practices that are primarily passive and says it's not good enough. We need to be assertive. Think affirmative action. But this assertiveness employs discrimination to fight discrimination. In other words, if you force it (assertiveness), it becomes nothing but a checkbox that must be checked at the expense of a merit-based system. It becomes the thing you were trying to fight.

[@okie2dbone498]

Division
Exclusion
Intimidation