Do you think diversity is good or bad? (racism, rating, Houston)

[Tricky D]

Originally Posted by macmeal

By 'nature', we should all have 12 kids, half of whom would die before adulthood, and the others survive into a short, brutish adulthood, before dying toothless and 'used up' by the burdens of life, at somewhere around the age of 45.

THAT'S nature......

You say it as if that would be a bad thing.
At least according to that scenario we would not have a problem with the world population.

What's ANY of this got to do with 'diversity'?

It has to do with biodiversity.
Our technological lifestyle is ever decreasing the biodiversity of the world up to the point where human life will also disappear because modern man all over the world will eventually live in the same environment (cooped up inside the city) and eat the same (fast)food and all live in the same culture.

The problem with technology is that it forces humanity to specialise which goes against nature. Nature adapts to its environment while we humans, through our technology, force our environment to adapt to us which explains the decrease of biodiversity on Earth.
We only keep what we think that we need and destroy everything else to make room for the things we want.

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I can only speak about diversity here in the Portland metro area.

Here diversity means that we celebrate anyone and everything, regardless of the issue (can be almost any religious, sexual orientation, nationality...) and overall, it is tastefully done.

The one and only exception is that diversity here is specifically intended to NOT include anyone of the protostant Christain religion. They are forbid to be accepted. All others are welcome.

So the fact diversity is used, in part, as a Christain bashing mechanism, it takes away any shine it may have here.

[Kracer]

Soil type and mositure content along with happenstance and/ or planning will support the greatest variety, density and age class of plantlife from which springs a cascading network of interdependant insect, bird and animal species.

Nature is dynamic and independant of the agenda of the life that suckles opportunistically at her breast. Without emotion, changes occcur in diversity which favor or deny any given species over time. Each species takes its turn to thrive, dominate and pass away.

Succession of open fields to deep woods features a parade of favorite offspring that go by the wayside when their requirements are no longer met.

The greatest treasure in the Americas is the widespread natural diversity that exists even in suburban areas. When asked by collegues to elaborate on differences between their country and the US my response always references a comparison of natural diversity.

Hosting informal trips into the local fields and woods, well within in the shadow of NYC, never fails to astound folks from places like CH, the UK and Belgium in terms of serenity, absence of people and the variety of plants, birds and animals. My globetrotting friend from CH was astounded to see turtles outside a zoo on our brief canoe trip down a local river. Another person from northern England saw an osprey, up close and personal, for the first time in 20 years.

Photo depicts two white-tailed deer fawns crossing a local river in the shadow of NYC.

[subsound]

I am generally for diversity in ideas, people, choices, cultures, what the heck ever...but often it gets used in ways that really don't make sense. I know at work the "Diversity" opinion, as in any idea that is considered non traditional, is automatically given more weight in debates because it's "diverse"...not that it's a better option or not. Looking around at housing, people love to throw out the emphasis on "diversity" for obviously run down and blighted areas...I don't think of a neighborhood being "diverse" doesn't gloss over other factors.

Accept it and all view points that are working towards a positive goal as equals, just because something is new and "Diverse" (as the new buzzword) doesn't automatically apply it as better. It's the bees knees to have synergy (I love old buzzwords).

[old_cold]

Diversity is something that just IS.
Show me any two people exactly alike and I'll retract that.

[Tricky D]

Originally Posted by old_cold

Diversity is something that just IS.
Show me any two people exactly alike and I'll retract that.

Diversity has nothing to do with being duplicates.
Biodiversity has to do with the number of different species.
Right now, because of humanity, more and more species are becoming extinct.

[Fred314X]

Diversity is good when it goes hand in hand with acceptance and tolerance (as it ought to).

[backfist]

In my opinion, Diversity is good only when it functions as a counter-balance of Manifest Destiny. If Diversity cannot offset Manifest Destiny, then I think it's no longer of any value or use.

[macmeal]

Originally Posted by Fred314X

Diversity is good when it goes hand in hand with acceptance and tolerance (as it ought to).

Acceptance of WHAT, precisely? ANYTHING? SOME things? MOST things?

If things are "good", why would we need to 'tolerate' them? Wouldn't we just naturally WANT them? Wouldn't their "goodness" make them desirable, without anyone having to be forced to 'accept' them?

What about "bad" things, or ideas, or ways of living? Should those be 'accepted' as well as the 'good' things? Who should be the judge of this? ALL of us? SOME of us?

What if we so embrace 'tolerance' that we can no longer differentiate between good and bad? Stupid and sensible? Right and wrong?

Just how 'diverse', and how 'tolerant', do you suggest we should be?...and in regard to WHAT? Race? Ethnicity? Morals? Ethics? Lifestyle? Behavior? Attitude? Religious beliefs?

Should we accept the unacceptable? Tolerate the intolerable? If not, WHY not?

[texdav]

Its just a fact. But I do think that it will always cause conflict between groups that tend to gather together.