Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion are not “Woke”

D
Diversity not dangerous
Different not difficult
Divine not devious

E
Equality not entitled
Expansive not excluded
Excellence not extreme

I
Inclusion not incapable
Intelligence not incompetent
Interconnected not isolated

The more points of light, the brighter we shine
Narrow minds will not allow the uniqueness of nature
Acceptance builds strength with new ideas

Don’t let fear block joy
Love does conquer all
There is room at the table for everyone

Cheryl McDonald 2025©

Are you overwhelmed yet? Yes, I know, this is really hard. They want us to be overwhelmed because then we will give up. They are intentionally throwing bombs out every day just to keep us off balance, and we have to do our best not to go there.
What I am learning is that we have to focus on one thing at a time. We are not fighting this battle alone; there are experts in all of these fields that muskrat and his puppet are trying to destroy, and they are filing lawsuits, refusing to leave jobs, and pushing for congress and the courts to do their jobs. We all have to focus on our strengths and support those working on theirs. If only the few Republican congress people who still support democracy would decide to actually fight against this tyranny instead of hiding and if more Democrats would refuse to rubber stamp everything the majority does as well maybe we could at least make this harder for the dictator to win!
I decided this week to put my focus on Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion because it is an area that is close to home. This would-be king is working hard with his unelected sidekick to destroy all government programs that support the people, of this country including infrastructure, health and safety, research, guardrails and guidelines, they are destroying media resources that do not color the news to fit their new world view, doing their best to destroy relationships with our allies and actively working to give other authoritarian governments openings to make headway building their own expansion ideas. And the thing is they are using their hatred of diversity programs to dismantle the departments, companies, and media sources to do a good amount of it. Diversity is not “woke” it is inclusion for all people!
I have many family and friends who are not white, facist-leaning men who are losing jobs, losing healthcare, losing or in fear of losing their lives, their safety, their jobs, even those they love. Women are once again under attack just for being women who have jobs, intelligence, or because they are not breeders. Just this week congress is trying to pass a law to keep women who changed their name when they got married but didn’t change their name on their birth certificate to keep them from voting unless they have a US passport. This is really insane and is unconstitutional. We passed an amendment and the voting rights act to allow all women citizens to be able to vote. How crazy is this!
Seniors who depend on Social Security and Medicare, Veterans and Disabled friends who might lose their benefits low-income single friends with children who are about to lose their healthcare and other supports like food stamps, or Head Start programs all of this is under attack and none of this is OKAY!
There is a huge misconception about what DEI programs are for. They are not about taking away anyones job, or letting men in women’s bathrooms to attack anyone, they are only about leveling the playing field for those who are applying for a job or school placement, and information to help those who work and live in the same communities together to better understand those unique individuals who do not fit into the white heterosexual male persona. No one is asking anyone to date a transgender woman or even permitting gays or lesbians to hit on you if that is not your thing. Allowing people to express their culture and their personal experience is not taking anything away from white history, culture, or experience. Changing the names of bases, schools, or sports teams is about respecting cultures and races. Why should we honor those who lost the Civil War? They wanted to destroy this country!
Teaching true history is another aspect of DEI. Teaching fake white-washed history about crimes perpetrated on various groups of people in the past is not about making anyone feel guilty; it is about taking a look at our past so we can improve our future.
Black History Month, Native American History Month, and all the other special celebrations for race or religious celebrations like Hanuakkah, Kwanzaa, Lunar New Year, etc., are not about erasing Christian celebrations or heritage; they are just as important to the people who celebrate them as Christmas and Easter are to Christians. I have always found learning about new cultures to be mind-expanding and lots of fun. Its not woke it is inclusive.
Including the accomplishments of Black, Native, Muslim, Latin, Asian, Jewish historical figures who have been erased throughout history is not to make anyone feel guilty; it is only giving long overdue credit to those who have contributed to the diversity and success of this nation.
The diversity of this nation is what makes us so amazing; why ignore it or destroy it? Let’s celebrate each other. We were once great because we accepted immigrants and their new ideas and cultures. Let’s not forget who we are. We must fight back, giving up is not an option.

Have a Happy Day
Cheryl

• What can you do to help keep this nation free?
• Check-in and support your friends and family who are caught up in this and may be getting bullied or threatened. Let them know that you are a safe contact if they need one.
• Here is a post by Robert Reich of things you can do and resources you can use.
• Call your congress people everyday or often and here is a list.
• Don’t give up, support each other and take care of yourself. Self Care is a must.