In our increasingly complex and technical world, it is crucial to prioritize excellence and competence over sentiment and political correctness. By adhering to the principles of equal opportunity for all, rewarding merit, balancing justice and mercy, pursuing quality and innovation, and promoting a level playing field, we can create an environment where individuals of all identities have the chance to thrive.
To create a more fair and efficient society, it’s important for colleges, government agencies and corporations to prioritize the hiring, enrolling, promoting and even firing of individuals based on their competence and merit. This is exactly what has made “the American experiment” so successful for over 250 years. Nepotism, caste systems, racial quotas, bribery, etc. must remain in the past. By acknowledging and rewarding individuals who are qualified, trained and motivated, organizations and society in general can maintain a more equitable and consistent standard of excellence and stability.
This doesn’t mean that exceptions cannot be made for special or peripheral cases. But prevailing policies should be written to address the realities of the 95%. In recent years too many laws and policies have been devised to acquiesce to the demands of the 5%. These create regulations that burden the majority of citizens in unwarranted deference to the few. (See: California) Societies that diminish the value of their innovators and producers in order to favor the marginalized, will find their decreased productivity and resolve renders them less capable of responding to those they’re seemingly so concerned about. (See: Seattle)
Too often we see less qualified individuals given preference due to social policies or political agendas, leaving more eligible candidates overlooked. (See: Kamala Harris) This not only impacts the morale and productivity of organizations, but also weakens social health. The United States is far from a perfect society, but it is vital to acknowledge the strides we’ve made in reducing systemic prejudice and corruption in our institutions while at the same time continuing to address remaining injustices and grievances.
In a free society the goal should be to provide equal opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their identity. Excellence and competence must be impartially rewarded on
a level playing field. It is imperative that talent, effort and productivity be valued as we prioritize merit over sentiment. This must be the goal we pursue.
As much as this seems clearly self-evident, these values and principles are under very deliberate attack from enemies not only outside our borders, but sadly from our own misguided within. We must all very intentionally work toward a society that upholds principles of equal opportunity, merit-based rewards, consequences for abuse and corruption, a balance of justice and mercy, the pursuit of excellence and innovation,
and the shared celebration of progress.
What a country!
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