Equity Laudable, But Must Not Omit Merit
Editor:
The proposed equity, diversity and inclusion position for Ocean City is an enigma.
In one breath, Mayor Rick Meehan proclaims that we’re “behind the times,” need to “be on the forefront of change” and “keep up,” “be leaders,” etc., the usual rhetorical clichés.
Then he concedes that in meetings with state and local civil rights activists bemoaning the June boardwalk incidents (and obligatory edited videos), that he was “asked” to hire an equity, diversity and inclusion officer for the Town of Ocean City. Please. We all know too well that activists don’t ask. They demand and extort.
And it’s suspicious that the announcement of this crusade comes in the wake of the official inquiry finding into both Boardwalk incidents. Neither was a civil rights violation and the matters closed. But that’s typically not enough to satisfy activists.
So, is this an impulsive “Woke” moment or more likely, caving into intimidation?
I’m all for diversity, but when it is simply based on race, gender identity, etc., it is a proven recipe for failure. It has destroyed our schools, where superior students are held back because of the ridiculous fear of making less capable students feel bad. Diversification without regard to merit has reduced the effectiveness of companies, universities, professions and every other aspect of our society.
It impacts the best and most qualified, deserving candidates.
Also, it’s painfully obvious and unfortunate these days that most people don’t understand the difference between equality and equity.
Equality assures that everyone has the same opportunities and can go as far as their efforts, skills and abilities will take them. Our country was founded on this concept and it was the centerpiece of the civil rights movement. With equality, everyone starts at the same point and gets as far as hard work, persistence and dedication takes them. The sky’s the limit.
Equity merely awards equal outcome, with no regard to effort, skillset, etc. Equity deems that everyone and anyone is handed the same result regardless of endeavor or ability.
The problem with equity is that it has nothing to do with being fair and impartial. There’s nothing wrong with those principles. There is something wrong when merit is omitted from the equation and being “equitable” ignores the value of a person’s skills and individual efforts. The process thus becomes one of group identity and “check-a-box” to make a quota.
How about hiring based on merit? What a wonderful concept.
Phillip Guggenheim
Ocean City
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Scrutiny On Turbine Distance Worthwhile
Editor:
At the risk of giving more than deserved attention to recent pro wind farm letters to the editor, I offer the following.
During the recent two (three hours each) public comment sessions by the Maryland Public Service Commission there were a total of approximately 80 speakers. Ninety percent of the speakers were not Eastern Shore residents. They represented environmental organizations and those promoting job opportunities. Every speaker advocated establishment of wind farms off Maryland’s coast. The only point of contention was the placement of the wind turbines from shore.
The Dispatch letter writers make disrespectful references to privileged wealthy beachfront property owners and offer shameful arguments about how the environmentally responsible residents of Ocean City should blindly support the solution to the world’s climate change problem by embracing wind farms located closer than 13 miles offshore.
It is ironic that these same people are so anxious to sacrifice the truly awesome natural view of the precious ocean horizon. Anyone remember the Buffy St. Marie song “Paved Paradise And Put Up A Parking Lot”?
There has not been one fact offered of why the wind turbines all cannot be placed 20 or more miles offshore. Surely there is enough room within the 80,000-acre allocation for the approved number of 850-plus high wind turbines and still protect our ocean scape.
We only have one chance to get this right.
Mary Reese
Ocean City
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Citzens Must Speak Up
Editor:
I know this could be controversial but, I question why this administration feels it is okay to give reparations to individuals who came across the border illegally and possibly with children not theirs, who were separated for the children’s sake until the adults were vetted. This practice was put into place under the Obama administration to protect the children from predators. The fact that this is even being considered is outrageous to the American people. Most of us work hard every day to provide for our families, and it appears our politicians don’t have a clue.
We are now paying the highest prices for gas because of the closure of the pipelines and drilling on federal land, our winter heating bills will be going up along with everything else. None of this truly is about climate change. We have the cleanest energy in the world. I thought our government’s job was to work for the American people not the world, and we Americans just continue to pay for it.
This gets back to our elections and who we put in office. This is one of the most important things Americans have been given the opportunity to do. We need to take this seriously, not just vote for the familiar name or person who has been their the longest. This is the time to really check out the individual and their platform and what they are going to do for this country and the people; not to the country and the people. I wish there was a resume that needed to be completed so we would have the opportunity to really check the individual. I don’t understand why individuals feel the need to disparage past generations because of the way they lived, that was a completely different time. We need to look at all the good they did and the opportunities they all provided for us and this great country. There are people that come here from oppressed countries for the freedoms we have and the ability to work hard and possibly succeed. We have all gotten along in the past and can in the future with the right leadership.
There is a quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt that states, “Let us never forget that the government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not president and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voter of this country.”
Jo Ann Roland
Berlin
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Virtual Home Tour Recap
Editor:
On behalf of the Art League of Ocean City, I would like to thank the many members of the community that came together to support the 17th Annual Sand Castle Home Tour, a month-long virtual event we held this October.
This year’s tour had guests enjoying 2,921 total viewing sessions of 10 amazing homes throughout Worcester and Sussex counties. The $39,000 raised from the tour will help sustain the operation of the Art League’s home, the Ocean City Center for the Arts on 94th St., and keep the center free and open daily to the public. Additionally, $1,500 will be presented to 13 other local nonprofit organizations that sold tickets to the tour.
Thank you to our committee who worked for months on this project, the 10 homeowners who opened their doors to our videographers, and the writers, florists, and artists who contributed their work to the event.
Our gratitude goes out to our title sponsor, T&G Builders, and all of the tour sponsors who realized this was more than an advertising campaign; it was a way to help the community by supporting the arts in a time when art is needed most. Thank you to Structure Homes, Bethany Resort Furnishings, Gateway Builders, Stone Nation, Northrop Realty, Atlantic Exposure, Artic Air, Pohanka, Innerbloom, The Windrow Group, Bank of Ocean City, Coastal Association of Realtors, Bank of Delmarva, Coastal Edge Landscapers, Town of Ocean City, Old Pro Golf, Joyce G Designs, Rutherford Realty, PKS Investment Advisors, Creative Concepts, Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Denney Electric, Hugh Hickman Builders, Elsea Construction, Beachwood Builders, Maryland’s Coast, Casual Designs Furniture, Drury Lane Interiors, Delaware Elevator, Taylor Bank, Abbi Custis, Ocean Atlantic Sotheby’s International, The Framing Corner, Harrison Group, J Conn Scott, Turquoise Interior Design, Becker Morgan, Charles Brown Glass, Shore United Bank, Tiffanie Adkins Interiors, Haley Architecture, Fisher Architecture, Impact Home Technology, Carolina Street and Trond Pools.
We also appreciate the support of our media sponsors who helped us get the word out — WMDT 47/ABC, OC Today, The Dispatch, Coastal Style Magazine, Delmarva Public Media, and Ocean 98 — and of the generous donors who provided our weekly prize packages.
We cannot forget to thank our talented production crews, our creative and hard-working staff, our dedicated volunteers, and all of the ticket purchasers who came from around the country to view the homes and the lifestyle that we are so fortunate to have on the Eastern Shore.
Thank you, again, to everyone who made this year’s very different Sand Castle Home Tour a success.
Rina Thaler
Ocean City
(The writer is the executive director of the Art League of Ocean City.)