Steve Ruis alerts Trump and his DEI Police to a dangerous historical event that should be scrubbed from all the history books. It’s an example of DEI before DEI was recognized as unAmerican.
Grace Hopper directed a team that developed early COBOL applications.
Photo credit: Smithsonian Institution/Wikimedia Commons
There’s probably no programming language in history that’s quite as all pervasive as COBOL. For over 60 years, COBOL has been quietly powering 43% of the banking systems worldwide, handling a mind-blowing $3 trillion in daily transactions. And 95% of ATMs and 80% of banks still rely on it.
Wait. Look at that picture! It screams late 1950’s, early 1960’s. The team was lead by a woman! (The fact that she earned a Ph.D. in both mathematics and mathematical physics from Yale University and was a professor of mathematics at Vassar College is irrelevant.) On the team are a black guy. A guy who looks to be from the Indian subcontinent and a sole white guy!
This should never have happened … at least according to Donald J. Trump, otherwise known as The Martyr of Mar-a-Lago, the senior partner of Elon and Felon, The Mango Menace, “TACO” (Trump Always Chickens Out) Trump, POTUS (Piece of Totally Useless Shit), Darth Hideous, $hitler, the Titanic Toddler, and President of the United States Donald J. Trump. Such combinations of the sexes and races are abominations and should not happen again.
Why, oh why, does anyone pay any attention to the ravings of this … person? Why do people obey his orders when he is clearly unhinged?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Learned some new epithets to describe Trump. Trash talk can be cathartic, but remember to pick your issue and stick with it. (Here I sit with potential nicknames for he who shall not be named floating thru my head.)
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Thanks for this ironic story that highlights the importance of DEI. As an educator, I have always approached my work from the assumption that everyone deserves a fair chance, even though some students may appear to have less talent than others. As a result, some students may require adaptation and modifications to help them achieve their full potential, and that is exactly what makes teaching interesting and challenging. As someone that has taught K through college students, I also know that it is unfair to pigeonhole students, particularly in the early years, as I have seen some slow starters become very successful in high school, college and life. All students deserve an education that meets their needs. We do not know who is going to come up with the next “big idea,” and even if they are not the next “wunderkind,” they deserve our full attention and support to become the best they can be.
As far as why people pay attention to the raving racist, I have no idea how anyone can tolerate him, let alone follow him. Somehow he has tapped into something special with the macho bros and working class. The christian nationalists, billionaires and libertarians are riding on his coattails as is most of the GOP (Greedy Old Pirates).
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By now, it’s clear that facts hold little sway with members of this ideological cult. One of my college theatre alumni was a DEI hire by LAPD. His record was exemplary, and he’s deeply respected by his fellow officers — many of whom are Trump supporters. When Trump began attacking DEI, my friend would point out, ‘I was a DEI hire. I wouldn’t have been hired without it.’ Even after years of personal friendship and firsthand experience working alongside him, many of them still refused to reconsider their stance. The narrative mattered more than the truth standing right in front of them.
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The success of my Black friend as a DEI officer in the LAPD — just like the pioneering work of Grace Hopper and her diverse team of programmers — is deeply rooted in the U.S. military’s early commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. My friend’s father served in the military, which gave their family economic stability, access to education, and a pathway to opportunity. That foundation allowed him to attend college and build a meaningful career in public service. From desegregating its ranks to investing in talent regardless of race or gender, the military’s efforts didn’t just strengthen national defense — they quietly reshaped what was possible for generations of American families.
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David,
Thank you!
The demonization of DEI is hateful.
DEI has made us a better country.
We need more of it.
Diane
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It’s regrettable that Diane Ravitch has regressed to being a mindless partisan who has no interest in being factually accurate. The opposition to the extremes of DEI is about lowering standards to meet quotas demanded by identity politics. Grace Hopper was hired on merit, not for reasons of race or gender, unlike much of what goes on in academia and other places.
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And you know this because you studied it. Of course.
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Trump is not banning the “extremes” of diversity, equity, and inclusion. He’s banning all of it. He wants world dominated by white men. This is funny, because Trump was born with a silver sooon in his mouth. His daddy was rich. He bailed him out every time he failed. Trump was a beneficiary of inheritance and white privilege.
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If Mary Eichmeyer is human and doesn’t work for Putin or is a loyalist MAGA cult member, maybe they will be able to learn the truth about DEI.
DEI initiatives aim to ensure fair opportunities for all candidates based on qualifications and potential, rather than prioritizing race or other demographic characteristics.
DEI principles focus on creating a level playing field by reducing bias in the hiring process, such as biased language in job descriptions, subjective filters, and bias in resume reviews, to ensure that qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds are not overlooked.
While some misunderstandings about DEI exist, claiming it compromises hiring standards or uses quotas, these resources clarify that DEI is not about lowering standards or selecting less qualified candidates to meet quotas.
Instead, DEI emphasizes evaluating candidates based on merit and potential while ensuring that biases do not hinder the consideration of qualified individuals from all backgrounds.
DEI initiatives aim to strengthen hiring practices by promoting fairness and equity, ensuring candidates are evaluated based on their merits.
MERITS!
Therefore, DEI seeks to achieve a diverse and inclusive workforce by ensuring that all eligible candidates are evaluated based on their qualifications and abilities, rather than on factors like skin color.
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Obviously, the DEI controversy is another thing like “woke.” Recall that Chris Rufo was heard explaining how he was going to use the mainstream media to turn the word “woke” into a negative. Catch phrases and cacophony are utilized in a very mechanical way to spread the language of hate across the country through various commentary that is damaging to discourse and to the exercise of self government.
Daily, a majority of American consumers of news see streams of these types of propaganda pandas using the language they imitate. Paid for by great wealth, they nonetheless sound like they speak for the average Joe. To some extent they do. Their analysis, spewed out in talk shows on the radio and various news sites on the internet, is barbershop deep, about as complex and insightful as your uncle Joe when he has had a few beers down at the bar in No 5. It is designed, however, by very sophisticated communicators who are paid to create this alternative reality.
These purveyors of tyranny know what they are doing. They do it well. But sin is not good just because you do it well. A well-crafted wrong is still wrong.
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Please resend this in humanspeak. Thanks!
Sent from my iPhone
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The Defense Department erased examples of DEI from its websites. There was pushback when they eliminated photos of the Tuskegee Airmen. I didn’t see if Code Talkers and the 442 were also erased from history.
The Army scrubbed a list of contentious words from its documents, including “respect.” Ironically, or perhaps not, respect is one of the Army values.
Major Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense and a DUI hire himself, fired women and black in prominent military positions, replacing them with white males.
No women were in the background when Trump spoke at the military base in North Carolina earlier this month. “No fat soldiers” was part of the demand for the optics there.
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All DEI policies ask those in power to do is to be inclusive and tolerant of people that may not have considered, and there is no legal obligation to do so. People often confuse DEI with affirmative action which did have some legal implications behind it when it was enforced. When the right goes on its DEI rampage claiming it is against merit, it is misleading as there is no legal clout behind DEI. You also never hear the right complain about legacy admissions in top tier schools which may account for up to 40% of admissions in some instances and a much more of a compelling complaint.https://www.ihep.org/legacy-looms-large-in-college-admissions-perpetuating-inequities/
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It’s ridiculous to hear Trump appointees–like Hegseth and Noem–exalting the importance of merit. Neither is qualied based on merit or experience. Was RFK Jr. chosen because of his “merit” as a researcher or doctor or scientist? Or Tulsi Gabbard–Putin admirer-as Director of National Intelligence?
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