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Steve Scalise blames "DEI" for the New Orleans terrorist attack [1]
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Date: 2025-01-03
So, the MAGAs already sound like a pack of lunatics when they repeatedly blame “open borders” for a terrorist attack that a born U.S. Citizen committed. Now, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise has just jumped completely off the cliff with his claim that “DEI” has taken the FBI and Homeland Security “Off Mission.”
“It’s not just illegal immigration,” Scalise said when radio host Tommy Tucker asked what Homeland Security missed. “Some of these agencies have gotten so wrapped up in the DEI movement – call it wokeness call it whatever you want – but their main focus is on diversity and inclusion as opposed to security,” Scalise said. “And they’re two very different things, and we have to get back to that core mission.” He added that the same activity is going on in the Department of Defense and the FBI. “And so, if nothing else, let’s get back to these agencies keeping people safe, period,” Scalise said. But the radio host continued to press Scalise for proof that DEI initiatives contributed to signs of an impending ISIS-inspired terrorist attack being missed – “Or are you just speculating this?” he asked. Scalise said it’s been his experience that any agency “moving away” from their mission will result in a shift in focus “and that’s when things get missed.” “We’ve seen at agencies when you start focusing on that – I mean you can only have so many focuses at any agency – each agency has a mission, Tommy,” Scalise said. “And when you move away from your main mission, and Homeland Security – their mission is to keep Americans safe in our homeland and they’ve started to move away from that – and we’ve pointed that out for years now.”
Uh huh.
This is fucking nonsense.
MAGAs have turned “DEI” into a buzzword that is certainly not what it really means — Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. It means the opposite of the Bigotry, Discrimination, Racism and Segregation that this nation was founded on.
According to recent statistics, a significant number of workers in the United States have experienced or witnessed discrimination in the workplace: Overall : 61% of employees have experienced or witnessed discrimination
Race or gender : 42% of workers report experiencing discrimination based on their race or gender .
Age : 45% of workers have experienced age discrimination
Sexual orientation: 33% of employees have experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation Discrimination can also occur based on disability status, weight, ethnicity, religion, languages spoken, accents used, and socioeconomic levels. Discrimination can have many consequences, including gaps in hiring, wages, and representation in management. It can also lead to health, education, and income disparities.
61% of employees have experienced or witnessed discrimination in the workplace? That’s not a random occurrence. That’s not a fringe event. That’s not “rare” or “infrequent.” That is a regular event. That is happening constantly. It may not even be happening as a result of a conscious decision, it may simply be inertia. It's how business is done, it’s how things work.
For example, people with "black-sounding” names are dramatically less likely to have their job applications taken seriously.
Twenty years ago, two economists responded to a slew of help-wanted ads in Boston and Chicago newspapers using a set of fictitious names to test for racial bias in the job market. The watershed study found that applicants with names suggesting they were white got 50% more callbacks from employers than those whose names indicated they were Black. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Chicago recently took that premise and expanded on it, filing 83,000 fake job applications for 11,000 entry-level positions at a variety of Fortune 500 companies. Their working paper, published this month and titled "A Discrimination Report Card," found that the typical employer called back the presumably white applicants around 9% more than Black ones. That number rose to roughly 24% for the worst offenders.
Simply being named Shaniqua or Laquan is already a hindrance as much as 24% of the time. Imagine if you have a "black accent” or a Spanish accent or an Indian Accent? This is supposed to be a "meritocracy” but it's nothing like it in actual practice. People have preferences, sometimes intangibles like how someone styles their hair or if they have long fingernails and eyelashes.
It all adds up.
DEI is proactive anti-discrimination. It’s actual meritocracy beyond social, cultural, gender and racial issues. It is a preventative strategy to remove bias which is sadly, deeply embedded within our hiring systems.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a philosophy and set of values that promote the representation and participation of people from all backgrounds: Diversity : Recognizing and embracing the differences in people's identities, perspectives, skills, and styles
Equity : Implementing fair, transparent, and consistent policies and practices
Inclusion: Creating an environment that welcomes, connects, and values everyone DEI can help create more accessible and fairer workplaces for people of different races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, sexual orientations, genders, political perspectives, and backgrounds. Here are some ways employers can demonstrate a commitment to DEI: Be open about gender pay inequality
Be aware of unconscious bias
Acknowledge cultural and religious holidays
Encourage frequent employee feedback
Be aware of ageism and strive for a multigenerational workforce
Avoid gendered terms, such as "guys" or "paternal leave"
Be mindful of cultural differences
Use inclusive greetings, such as "Hello all" instead of "Dear Sir/Madam"
Doing any of this shouldn’t get in the way of your job. It shouldn't be a “distraction” unless you have a problem with not being a fucking bigoted dick.
But let’s be real, that’s not really what Scalise is saying. He, like a lot of conservatives, is really complaining about the Black female FBI Agent who was part of one of the initial briefings on the New Orleans attack.
Conservative commentator Robby Starbuck, who’s been railing against diversity and inclusion for months on X, likewise blamed DEI for the attack: “6 months ago the New Orleans FBI office was doing DEI hiring events. Maybe they should have been more focused on hiring the best people who are good at catching terrorists instead? Hiring solely to ‘increase diversity’ is a threat to national security for everyone. DEI must end.” Right-wing YouTuber Benny Johnson also piled on. “An FBI Agent with a nose ring who can barely speak coherent English sentences told the media that a terrorist driving a truck with an ISIS flag killing 10 Americans is NOT a terrorist attack!?!” Johnson wrote on X. “Seriously. Listen to this. We need Kash Patel NOW!” The video in question is of FBI Special Agent Alethea Duncan, who happens to be a Black woman with a nose ring, speaking perfect English as she simply debriefs reporters in New Orleans, noting that the FBI had not classified the attack as a terrorist act yet. The agency did so later as more information came out.
Right. DEI was driving the truck that mowed people down. DEI has something to do with that agents abilities. Because she has an accent. In New Orleans where damn near everyone has either a Southern or Creole accent. Because she has a nose stud. Like that has to do with anything. Because she’s Black.
Because a Black person couldn’t possibly be smart or talented. She couldn’t have possibly earned her position with hard work and skill.
She has to be an untalented hack who was only artificially “elevated” by DEI, because we all know that only straight White Christian Men are actually talented at anything.
Yeah, this is bullshit.
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