I know this will set off a fire or two – but here goes.

As an individual and in my opinion, I support fully the concepts of promoting and supporting “Racial, Cultural or Ethnic diversity or inclusiveness.” The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and later sexual orientation.

Every business with 15 or more employees has a sign in their lunchroom reminding people that discrimination will not be tolerated. Banks and financial organizations all have stringent protections in place to make sure it is enforced. Heck, it is downright illegal! America has voted for a Black president for two terms.

And yet, we are told that America is an awful place and is ‘systemically racist’.

Across America and particularly in Washington state, the racially divisive teachings of “Critical Race Theory” (CRT) are being taught in all our schools, from elementary on up through college, and in our businesses.

We are taught that all members of a group – ‘White’ – (such as Polish, Italian, German, Irish, French people) are ‘oppressors’. Oppressors are all ‘bad’, and there is nothing you can do to change that.

CRT is not concerned with equality. They always specify equity, which looks at outcomes.

For example, the current makeup of America is approximately 60 percent White, 18 percent Hispanic or Latino, 13 percent Black and almost 6 percent Asian.

Basically, the quota system is being promoted. So blacks (for example) need to make up 14% of doctors, bank CEOs and bakers. I agree that many businesses are full of “white males over age 50” and we need to improve that.

But CRT teaches that it does not matter who the best man or woman for the job is if the ratios are correct.

A quick Google search of the current Seahawks roster (92 members) shows 71 percent of the full team are ‘oppressed’ – actually, to be woke and politically correct, since only 14 percent of the U.S. is Black, that means that they need to let 50 members of the team go and hire more Asians and Latinos and old white guys. (‘Ageism’ is a category). It does not matter that they are the best athletes available.

CRT is an attempt to end racism. But by focusing and emphasizing differences and skin color, that just ends up inflaming the situation.

Why is my president, half of my Congress and others, fueling the fire by emphasizing skin color? Setting up disaster relief funds that only go to minorities?

Why are we teaching Americans that if they fail at something, or make the wrong choices, it is not their fault? That it is only because of systemic racism that it is happening?

On what planet is it believed, that by dividing people, and setting people apart, we are actually bringing people together?

In these times, it is important to remember that we are all Americans. We need to pull together, work together, and learn to play well with others.

David Cannon

Enumclaw