To the Editor,
It’s spring! Yay!
Hyacinths, croci, and tulips are popping up. The trees are budding. The migrating birds are back. Garden centers will open soon if they haven’t already. I know some of us are itching to start digging in the dirt!
That got me thinking. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. I don’t get it. Those are bad things now? Think of the fields. Think of your garden. There’s danger in growing one thing over and over again in your field or in your garden, right? That limiting choice usually leads to a poor outcome. Changing things up can be a good thing.
According to Wikipedia, there are over 10,000 different varieties of tomatoes. I didn’t look up the names of each, but I did search for images of the different varieties. Did you know that in addition to the common red varieties, there are yellow, orange, blue/purple, brown, black, and white varieties? Tomatoes come in various shapes and sizes as well: round, oblong, accordion-looking, small, large, tiny, medium, etc. Some grow in a cluster.
Of course, we don’t grow every variety in one place. Not every variety works for a specific situation. But would you reject a variety just because of the color of its skin or its shape or if it had a small bruise? If it’s a tomato, why reject it before you get a chance to appreciate its brilliance? You would include it as an option, right? Why deprive yourself of the perfect fit for your needs? And once you have determined that, you will treat it equitably with any other tomato you choose.
Variety – Balance – Acceptance = Diversity – Equity – Inclusion
That’s wise!
Sallè Crutaire
Harmony, Minn.