In October 2018, a New Jersey municipal election
debate among four candidates running for two seats on the City Council got
interesting when moderator Susan Ferris Rights posed the question, “What have
you done to promote and encourage diversity and inclusion in your careers?”
As Rob Jennings reports for the Star-Ledger
(10/19/18) in Councilman
flubs diversity question at debate,
[Councilman Robert W.] Messler, who is white and holds an
executive job, appeared to stumble over the question. “I have, in my career — I
have promoted many people that are … that maybe didn’t deserve it and help
include them.”
He later attempted to clarify:
“I meant to say that they might not have had a chance. I’m in a
factory environment and I have people that have education — maybe have no
education, maybe have language barriers, maybe are minorities,” Messler said.
“I’ve promoted them to management positions, gave them a chance,
gave them a chance to have education, helped them out and their families, so
what I said came across wrong,” he concluded.
For her part, one of Messler’s challengers,
Anjali Mehrotra, did better--barely, in my view,
“I am a woman of color who grew up in India. I was not supposed to
have a college education or a career. All my life, I had to fight against
status quo to be here today. I am the picture of diversity, if you will give me
that,” she said.
“Inclusion, itself, is important. But to me, diversity is not just
diversity of, you know, ethnic. It’s gender. It’s diversity of thought. It’s
diversity of ideas. And I think that is severely needed in our borough,” said
Mehrotra.
Mehrotra noted that the police department — currently roiled by a
sexual harassment lawsuit filed by five male officers and a female dispatcher
over alleged misdeeds including repeated displays of a large dildo — is
all-white and lacks any female officers.
“I would like to see more diversity throughout our government and
throughout borough hall,” she said, to some applause in the audience.
At least she mentioned something other than race
or sex--thought and ideas. And she was prepared. Messler was obviously not
prepared, and very uncomfort with the question. To be fair, the question was
rigged. Rights framed the question as if the issue of “diversity and inclusion”
were settled--that some numerical race/gender/other balance must be
accomplished. Messler, an executive, is probably used to deciding by merit, and
sees “diversity” goals as giving the undeserved (which it can very well mean).
I think the question should be addressed by
first asking the moderator to define diversity and inclusion. When Rights
answers that by diversity and inclusion “I mean race, gender, or ethnicity”
quotas, Messler could have answered, “I reject race or gender as major relevant
considerations. I believe people should be judged as individuals, based on
their character, ability, employment and life experience, job fitness, and
merit. That’s the only kind of diversity I include in my decision-making.
That’s the only kind of diversity I promote.”
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