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The New Lounge

So... plane crashes and DEI, anyone?


I found it to be insensitive to turn the tragedy into that discussion in the manner in which the president did. But it is the unfortunate truth about what DEI brings. When the FAA prioritized diversity over filling positions, it left the door open for this kind of speculation. It always will. Thousands of well trained people have been denied jobs throughout the FAA and many other crucial agencies because they didn't check a box. It's time for that to be corrected.
 
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I found it to be insensitive to turn the tragedy into that discussion in the manner in which the president did. But it is the unfortunate truth about what DEI brings. When the FAA prioritized diversity over filling positions, it left the door open for this kind of speculation. It always will. Thousands of well trained people have been denied jobs throughout the FAA and many other crucial agencies because they didn't check a box. It's time for that to be corrected.
I appreciate that you acknowledge the insensitivity.

The people who are being hired aren’t unqualified. The training to be a pilot or an air traffic controller is very rigorous. They’re not lowering standards at all.

It opens the door for suspicions, yes, from people who are already suspicious about DEI. It’s a civil rights issue. It makes sure people who have historically been left out aren’t any more.

If a white male supervisor hires 10 people and all 10 are also white males while the 20 candidates who weren’t hired included lots of women and BIPOC, it isn’t necessarily due to prejudice, but it warrants looking into. It seems like people who are suspicious of DEI are suspicious of everyone who gets through who isn’t a white male, but aren’t suspicious about ending up with all white males. In 2025.
 
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I appreciate that you acknowledge the insensitivity.

The people who are being hired aren’t unqualified. The training to be a pilot or an air traffic controller is very rigorous. They’re not lowering standards at all.

It opens the door for suspicions, yes, from people who are already suspicious about DEI. It’s a civil rights issue. It makes sure people who have historically been left out aren’t any more.

If a white make supervisor hires 10 people and all 10 are also white males while the 20 candidates who weren’t hired included lots of women and BIPOC, it isn’t necessarily due to prejudice, but it warrants looking into. It seems like people who are suspicious of DEI are suspicious of everyone who gets through who isn’t a white male, but aren’t suspicious about ending up with all white males. In 2025.
I understand that the training and the standards are the same to qualify for the jobs. But we're talking about people who have experience in other places across the country who move and don't get hired because they don't check a box. We're talking about positions not being filled because they're waiting for someone who checks a box. DEI mayor have had honest intentions, I doubt it. I think it is just another form of pandering. But it itself is a racist ideology. When they say that people who are against DEI because they only want the white man to fly their planes, what they're really saying is that DEI is the only way a black person would ever be a pilot. Which we know isn’t true.
 
I understand that the training and the standards are the same to qualify for the jobs. But we're talking about people who have experience in other places across the country who move and don't get hired because they don't check a box. We're talking about positions not being filled because they're waiting for someone who checks a box. DEI mayor have had honest intentions, I doubt it. I think it is just another form of pandering. But it itself is a racist ideology. When they say that people who are against DEI because they only want the white man to fly their planes, what they're really saying is that DEI is the only way a black person would ever be a pilot. Which we know isn’t true.
I don't consider measures addressing and rectifying racism racist themselves. They can certainly be misguided. And however sound I might find a philosophy, there is absolutely cringy, self-sabotaging political rhetoric around it.

Taking a step back and thinking about it logically, no reasonable, decent conservative would believe that there shouldn't be any women or BIPOC pilots, but in the moment, too many of those same people are cynical about every example. It was the same with the LAFD: That photo passed around by conservatives of the 3 butchy looking women judged them on their appearance, never mind that they were all very experienced and qualified, and that there were lots of other people in leadership, too. They just took a pic together. And a lot of decent, otherwise reasonable conservatives fell for right-wing rhetoric and did not step back to consider it logically and to vet their media sources.
 
I don't consider measures addressing and rectifying racism racist themselves. They can certainly be misguided. And however sound I might find a philosophy, there is absolutely cringy, self-sabotaging political rhetoric around it.

Taking a step back and thinking about it logically, no reasonable, decent conservative would believe that there shouldn't be any women or BIPOC pilots, but in the moment, too many of those same people are cynical about every example. It was the same with the LAFD: That photo passed around by conservatives of the 3 butchy looking women judged them on their appearance, never mind that they were all very experienced and qualified, and that there were lots of other people in leadership, too. They just took a pic together. And a lot of decent, otherwise reasonable conservatives fell for right-wing rhetoric and did not step back to consider it logically and to vet their media sources.
Without DEI, you get on a plane and see a female or black pilot, you think nothing of it. With DEI (especially female, sorry) you have that thought in the back of your mind. Granted, you still respect that they have been through the training and know what they are doing. But when something goes south, there will be that question.

I don't know about the picture you are talking about. But I am sure one of those ladies was the one who responded to a hypothetical by saying that if your husband is in a position to where he needs me to carry him out of a burning building, then he got himself in a bad situation. That is disqualifying. She also made comments about how when you call 911 for help, you want someone who looks like you to respond. You don't find this DEI nonsense the least bit concerning in these situations?
 
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My parents neighbor retired few years ago pilot for American Airlines and flew international. His son went to med school and had been Doctor for 6 years. He had his pilots license and he built his own plane. He decided he would rather be full time pilot and part time Doctor. They have grass landing strip behind my parents house. He now is a pilot for American. Pilots are a special breed his mom told me his career was medical field but his passion was flying planes. Next time I see them I'm going to ask their opinion about the tragic accident and if they have flew in to this airport.
 
I found it to be insensitive to turn the tragedy into that discussion in the manner in which the president did. But it is the unfortunate truth about what DEI brings. When the FAA prioritized diversity over filling positions, it left the door open for this kind of speculation. It always will. Thousands of well trained people have been denied jobs throughout the FAA and many other crucial agencies because they didn't check a box. It's time for that to be corrected.
Key recipients in DEI hirings are white women...and as far as the FAA...if you got the job and passed all the requirements, then you are up to snuff for that position
 
Key recipients in DEI hirings are white women...and as far as the FAA...if you got the job and passed all the requirements, then you are up to snuff for that position
Not sure the relevance of your point here. If you have a valid driver's license, that means that you passed all the requirements and are up to the snuff for driving a vehicle.
 
Correct. He is ONE example of why we need term limits. Can you name 5 more without hitting a Mitch McConnell or a Chuck Grassley? I bet you can because surely this is nothing but a Democratic problem. 🙄

And your own commentary was way better than the content of the tweet you cited. I’m not sure why you fell for something dumber than what you said. Not only are term limits a great idea, but it’s also disgusting that so many of them get rich while in office. But earning a tax-funded salary is not “leeching.” That’s part of what taxes are for. And being a U.S. Senator is a real job. Wanna say there’s something wrong with it? Awesome, but be accurate about it, not lazy. You were accurate enough; why ruin it by citing a stupid tweet?
 
Not sure the relevance of your point here. If you have a valid driver's license, that means that you passed all the requirements and are up to the snuff for driving a vehicle.
There are infinite drivers licenses available, not FAA jobs.

The point I take from it is that since they are entirely qualified to get the job, there is no reason any alleged DEI hire shouldn’t have gotten the job. You wouldn’t question what the tie-breaker was if one white guy beat out another white guy. I haven’t heard any complaints about people who have advantages like knowing someone in a position of power. Why would it be unfair to deliberately work to include the people who otherwise are likely to be left out disproportionately?
 
There are infinite drivers licenses available, not FAA jobs.
This only makes my case stronger. Anyone who has a valid driver's license met the qualifications to drive a vehicle. It doesn't make them the best option to drive a vehicle for an agency. Being suitable isn't enough in some positions.

The point I take from it is that since they are entirely qualified to get the job, there is no reason any alleged DEI hire shouldn’t have gotten the job. You wouldn’t question what the tie-breaker was if one white guy beat out another white guy. I haven’t heard any complaints about people who have advantages like knowing someone in a position of power. Why would it be unfair to deliberately work to include the people who otherwise are likely to be left out disproportionately?
There are definitely complaints when someone loses out on a job because the person who got the job knew someone. What world are you living in? As far as a white guy beating out another white guy. Maybe I would question it, you don't know. It's a very broad hypothetical. Maybe it wouldn't make a difference. But it's not relevant to this discussion.

To the last question. It is 100% unfair to disqualify an applicant because they didn't check a box that someone else did. Especially in the case of the FAA where positions are being left open until someone checks a box.

To close out on this topic, for me anyway, this is all to this point a general discussion. There is nothing to suggest that DEI played a role in this particular incident, so my thoughts on DEI are not influenced by it.
 
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