DEI is dragging down America’s best and brightest



Growing up in Keyport, New Jersey, sports played a big role in my life. Naturally, I became an enthusiastic fan of the New York Yankees, Giants, and Knicks. Every year, I hoped one of my teams had the best shot and dreamed they would win the championship. After each season, my friends and I turned to the draft or free agency, eagerly discussing new player acquisitions. It's been exciting to watch how “fantasy” sports have evolved to the point that they’ve become a sport of their own.

When drafting for a sports team, the focus has always been on improving the current roster. Who is the fastest, strongest, or most durable? Who can improve the team’s chances of winning a championship? I’ve never heard — and still don’t hear — anyone say they’re looking for the most diverse player to promote equity. A sports team’s goal is to win.

If we don’t abandon forced DEI policies in our government, military, and corporations, our entire economy and national security will become a joke.

Thomas Jefferson penned the famous phrase in our Declaration of Independence: “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

What a powerful message. It’s the foundation of our society and government. We also know it’s an ideal we aspire to and that, in this country and worldwide, not everyone has been treated equally. Since the beginning of time, people have restricted others’ freedoms. Even today, millions around the world are trapped in slavery and don’t enjoy the freedom of religion, speech, or movement — freedoms we sometimes take for granted as Americans.

Even though mankind has abased it, the universal truth of freedom remains intact, which is why me must continue to fight for it in its ideal form every day.

However, equality of opportunity doesn’t mean we all have equal abilities or should achieve equal outcomes. Just as sports teams scout for new talent, not everyone can dunk a basketball, hit a home run, invent lifesaving medicine, run a business, or lead a country.

We all have an inner drive to compete, succeed, and win, but not always in the same way or with the same results. Consider some of the greatest success stories of the past century: Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, Sam Walton, Madam C.J. Walker, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Gates. They all were highly motivated, willing to fail, and competitive and had a strong understanding of what people wanted. They were also intellectually gifted beyond many of their peers.

Instead of forcing everyone to be equal in drive and intellect or imposing redistributive government policies, our Founding Fathers fought for the freedom of these gifted, driven individuals to succeed. As a result, the nation has become far better for everyone. The United States is undeniably the world’s leader in technology, medicine, food production, and military strength.

Over the past 35 years, I’ve hired hundreds of people who were the best and brightest and who understood what we aimed to accomplish with our company.

The primary danger of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs is that they impose a new kind of slavery, shackling the best and brightest with the chains of the lowest common denominator. This approach benefits no one.

Do passengers want the most diverse pilot or the best pilot? Do cancer patients want the most diverse doctors or the best doctors? Do baseball teams win championships because they have the most diverse players or the best players?

Everyone should have the opportunity to compete for any job, with the same rules and minimum standards applying to all. However, DEI quotas at any level are wrong and anti-American, and they contribute to failure.

And for those who truly believe in DEI, stop with the hypocrisy. Demand that goods produced with slave labor in communist China or other repressive regimes be immediately banned in the United States. Demand that all sports teams immediately reflect the proportion of skin color among Americans. That would be something to watch in the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball. Actually, it would be something no one would watch because it would be a joke.

If we don’t abandon forced DEI policies in our government, military, and corporations, our entire economy and national security will become a joke as well.

End DEI. Let freedom and human ingenuity run wild. This will ensure that America’s greatness will never be in doubt.

Yes, Kamala Harris Is A Communist

In Harris, the left finally has a candidate who represents the soul of their new party — a shrill, race-hustling 59-year-old childless woman.

We Can’t Pretend The Sexes Are The Same Without Sending Women To War

If our society accepts the faulty premise that there are no differences between men and women, women have no grounds for objecting to compulsory combat duty.

Pride Events Aren’t Safe For Work Or Children — And That’s A Huge Tell

Why do queer people get a complete pass to be blatantly, publicly, sexually creepy in ways we never, ever tolerate for heterosexuals?

'Trans rights are human rights': Developers of new Star Wars Outlaws game publicly renounce 'oppression' and inequality



The developers behind the latest Star Wars Outlaws video game denounced oppression and inequality in a series of images about what equality means to them.

The Swedish developers at Massive Entertainment, a subsidiary of Montreal's Ubisoft, celebrated International Women's Day by posing with their arms sideways in an attempt to depict an equal sign, with #EachForEqual on their photos.

The team wasted no time getting into woke responses; the first female employee responded by saying equality, to her, meant "not having to do other people's emotional labor."

The first male employee stated that equality meant "renouncing all forms of oppression."

"Feeling safe without anxiety and fear of being judged," another employee added, while a succinct male employee simply said, "It's in the word."

A female employee, who appeared in a shirt that read "Baby it's [cold] outside" with the word "cold" missing — perhaps in protest to the 1944 song — said that equality meant "having representation" in games, which are "written and created by people from the communities we represent."

"That is huge," she added.

The lengthiest response was also the most buzz-word laden and political response.

"Equality means that all people — regardless of their birth or background — deserve the same respect and opportunity," a male employee began.

"For some, this will mean being provided aid so that they may aspire to rise above social, mental, or physical friction which might otherwise prevent them from succeeding," he continued.

"We're all on this boat together, and we don't have long on this ride. Be kind. Be weird. Be free. Trans rights are human rights," he added.

@Grummz There's more lol \ud83d\udc47\ud83c\udffb
— (@)

Not all answers were infused with woke ideology; one male employee wearing a hat with a drink in his hand declared that the team was "here to work, and if anything, we should be judge[d] by our competences, not by the way we look."

Another simply said "respect," while others stuck to a reasonable definition of equality, taking it to mean that people should be treated fairly no matter their background.

The progressive responses are not atypical of the group, however, which boasts a feature image of pride flags on the company's page regarding commitments.

Participating in Malmo, Sweden's yearly pride parade, is listed as a company-wide commitment to "the belief that everyone should have the same value, rights, and opportunities – no matter who you love or how you identify."

"This commitment is deeply integrated in the Massive culture," the studio wrote. It added, "We share the common belief that diverse and inclusive teams have the possibility to make better games. In our continued support of diversity and inclusivity, we are proud to once again walk with Massive pride in the Parade."

Another commitment from the company is raising climate awareness in the video-game industry. Massive Entertainment entered into a partnership with 40 Nordic gaming companies, agreeing to make "the climate issue" one of the industry’s top priorities.

Recently we arranged a Bazaar at the Studio to celebrate Pride, love and human rights \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\n\nOur creative co-workers sold handcrafted items, and in our pride shop one could buy Massive branded pride merch. Thanks to everyone who contributed \ud83c\udf08\n\n#AMassiveLife #Pride
— (@)

Fans have complained that the developers of the Disney-owned Star Wars game have gone out of their way to make their lead female protagonist less attractive.

Actress Humberly González plays the character Kay Vess and has received an outpouring of both sarcastic and sympathetic commentary from gamers about her portrayal.

"I would be very upset what they did to your attractiveness and downplay it. I would have a lawsuit for bastardizing your looks. You’re a beautiful woman," one fan wrote on the actress' Instagram post promoting the game.

"I will be honest...you are a beautiful woman. What they (UBISOFT) did to your model in the game is an absolute disgrace...they changed everything to fit their narrative. You [deserve] better than that," another fan decried.

Another comment asked, "What's your opinion about making your character model ugly? Do you feel insulted?"

Western activists trying not to destroy real-life femininity challenge impossible. The model from Star Wars Outlaws should sue lmao
— (@)

Needless to say, video game fans are growing fed up with DEI-laden gaming companies and their enforcement of progressive narratives.

Parent company Ubisoft hasn't helped its cause with its own statements related to its customers, either.

In January 2024, Philippe Tremblay, director of subscriptions at Ubisoft, spoke about the company's desire to push gamers toward a subscription-based model in which users do not own their own games.

"One of the things we saw is that gamers are used to, a little bit like DVD, having and owning their games. That's the consumer shift that needs to happen. They got comfortable not owning their CD collection or DVD collection. That's a transformation that's been a bit slower to happen [in games]," Tremblay explained.

The subscription executive rationalized his position by offering a surety that gaming progress would not be lost.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Thomas Sowell’s New Book Wrecks Social Justice Warriors’ Favorite Fallacies With Facts

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-03-at-2.41.14 PM-1200x675.png crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Screenshot-2023-11-03-at-2.41.14%5Cu202fPM-1200x675.png%22%7D" expand=1]As Sowell warns, 'Stupid people can create problems, but it often takes brilliant people to create a real catastrophe.'

The Declaration Of Independence Defends American Citizenship, Not Abstract Ideas

Lincoln knew the declaration was more than a historical curiosity to be 'frittered away' as an 'interesting memorial of the dead past.'

Chris Christie distinguishes himself from Republican field, signaling support for child gender transition surgeries



Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced late last month that he is running for president in 2024. In an apparent effort to distinguish himself from better-performing candidates in the Republican field, Christie — presently ranked seventh on average with less than two points to his name in the polls — has come out in support of child gender transition surgeries.

The Republican presidential candidate told CNN's Jake Tapper during his Sunday appearance on "State of the Nation" that he doesn't think "the government should ever be stepping into the place of the parents in helping to move their children through a process where those children are confused or concerned about their gender."

Tapper prompted the response in part by referencing Christie's past support for the transgender agenda.

Rebuffing the warnings of groups like the NJ Family Policy Council, Christie ratified Democrat legislation (S-3067/A-465) in 2017, barring public school districts from requiring transvestic students to use bathrooms or locker rooms corresponding with their biological sex.

As the result of this law, schools in the state are required to allow students to dress in accordance with their "gender identity," keep parents in the dark about a student's "transgender or transition status," and allow students to participate in gym sports with members of the opposite sex.

The LGBT lobby group Garden State Equality celebrated Christie at the time, stating, "Governor Christie took a stand for LGBT youth in New Jersey by signing this important legislation, and he deserves our thanks," reported the Gothamist.

The head of Garden State Equality noted on Twitter that Christie "did good today" and welcomed him "to come sit at the gay beach" — referencing an incident where the former governor was photographed sunbathing on a state beach he had ordered closed to the public.

\u201c.@GovChristie you did good today. You're welcome to come sit at the gay beach! Thank you for signing those bills. #LGBT #Equality\u201d
— Christian Fuscarino (@Christian Fuscarino) 1500667115

In reply to Tapper, who noted that other Republicans were "going in the opposite direction" of the LGBT activist-affirming efforts he employed as governor, Christie said, "The fact is that folks who are under the age of 18 should have parental support and guidance and love as they make all of the key decisions of their life, and this should not be one that is excluded by the government in any way."

While the former governor is presently supportive of conversion therapies that seek to alter a patient's sex organs, he previously banned conversion therapies intended to alter sexual preferences.

Christie said at the time of the 2015 ban that on "issues of medical treatment for children, we must look to experts in the field to determine the relative risks and rewards," reported Fox News Digital.

"I believe that exposing children to these health risks without clear evidence of benefits that outweigh these serious risks is not appropriate," added Christie.

\u201cChris Christie arguing against state laws banning puberty blockers and surgical treatments for minors dealing with gender dysphoria.\n\nThis will certainly go over well with the base.\n\nWhy is he running, again?\u201d
— Jeff Charles, Liberty Nerd\ud83c\udff4 (@Jeff Charles, Liberty Nerd\ud83c\udff4) 1687121411

Unlike Christie, other declared Republican presidential candidates oppose child gender surgeries and irreversible puberty blockers for minors.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said in May, "You shouldn't allow a child to have gender-changing procedure until the age of 18 when they are an adult and they can make that decision. But we shouldn't have taxpayer dollars going to that," reported WCIV-TV.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has not simply condemned the transmogrification of minors with gender dysphoria but also banned the practice outright in the state of Florida.

Vivek Ramaswamy said he would implement a nationwide ban on so-called "gender-affirming care for minors," noting it's "actually the compassionate thing to do for children. ... Affirming their confusion is ... cruelty. For most of our history, we have viewed that as a mental health disorder. That's not a stigma. That's actually the first sign to asking how we, as adults and leaders, help our children by protecting them."

Former Vice President Mike Pence told the Des Moines Register, "If there was a move in the Congress to protect children from this radical gender ideology and to ban chemical or surgical transition treatment for kids under the age of 18, you bet I would support it."

Trump vowed in video posted to Truth Social in January that if re-elected, "madness will end": Men would no longer be able to compete in women's sports; federal law would recognize only two genders; sex-change surgeries on minors would be banned; and doctors responsible would be punished.

Christie, who trails Trump in the polls by roughly 50 points, tweeted Sunday, "Just hit 15k donors. Don't worry Donny, I'm coming."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Christians Have Done The Most To Promote Liberty And Equality In America

Historian Mark David Hall’s new book, Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land, offers a corrective to an inaccurate narrative about Christianity.

160-Plus Retired Military Brass Urge Congress To Root Out DOD’s Poisonous ‘Diversity’ And ‘Equity’ Programs

'Our military must be laser focused on one mission — readiness, undiminished by the culture war engulfing our country.'