If you were to ask someone about The Democratic Ideal, whether informed or completely oblivious on the matter, diversity is what tends to come to mind. Diversity is a value,  for it prevents the practice of insularity.  With that being said, it shouldn’t be the ultimate value and should definitely not strictly be based on race nor gender for that matter. We as a nation strive for diversity.

The United States is very much known for its racially and ethnically diverse population. According to the census over one million immigrants are welcomed to the United States every year alone, lead on by the hopes of living and achieving the American Dream. If someone of color, who also happened to be a strong supporter of affirmative action laws,  were to cross a predominately White neighborhood or university and were to see the dearth of diversity and automatically believe every colored individual attending or living in the area to have been “whitewashed,” or believe it to be a  place of ignorance, a place withholding individuals who use their semblance of eloquence and status to hurdle their race, this can easily be interpreted as cauasophobia or reverse discrimination.

There are alternate views. Although many claim to give a voice to them, they are later shocked and appalled that there are alternate views. There is segregation in America…informally of course, or otherwise known as de facto. We as humans tend to seek comfort, and we tend to find that with those whom are like us- not necessarily in race, but rather in morals, education, views whether political or on matters of philosophy. We crave conversation on what interests us or what we like. This is natural, this is human, and for that matter I must dissent those who scream ‘privilege” every time an individual of color is nowhere near sight. We possess a strong public education system which does not discriminate on any child regardless of race, ethnicity,  faith, disability, nor sexual orientation. We do not play favorites, nor do we provide special treatment.

On the 28th of August 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. had given his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. In that speech he had said, “Today we have come to cash this new check that will give us, upon demand, the riches of freedom and security of justice.” Is this not the future he had envisioned, had this not been what we had strived for?