PrintOctober 30, 2010
Whatever Happened to Unity?
Stroll down the halls of just about any college or university in the United States today and you will see promotions galore for "diversity." Signs that advocate the acceptance of diversity for everything from race and gender to transsexual lifestyles are everywhere. Long gone are pleas for unity, except when the oxymoronic slogan "Unity through Diversity" is proffered.
Where did such a concept that clearly divides Americans originate?
The modern diversity movement likely originated with progressive thought and power that advances through the simple, effective means of "divide and conquer." But Americans, as recently as the early 1960s, were strongly urged to ignore differences and become part of a "melting pot." The idea was to unite citizens under a banner of working together to make the country stronger and more productive, especially as America competed with its superpower rival, the Soviet Union. So unity was tied in with freedom, which led to the potential of prosperity for all.
Beyond superficial unity and material wealth, unity of people under qualities such as faith, hope, and love -- qualities that have nothing to do with skin color, ability or disability, and the like -- energize a superior moral climate for the nation. In August, popular television and radio personality Glenn Beck admirably focused on these qualities in a hugely attended rally in Washington, D.C. But nearly 2,000 years earlier, the Christian principle to ignore racial, social, and gender differences for the sake of unity was espoused by the apostle Paul several times in his epistles to Christian communities. And certainly, this should be enough incentive at least for American Christians.
On the other hand, the unity of Americans for any honorable reason does not serve the purpose of those who seek to change our society into one controlled by an elite group of progressive intellectuals and profiteers. The elites believe they know what is best for those controlled, while at the same time they gain substantial power and access to the vast riches associated with that power.
However, we know from history that what progressives consider best for the masses turns out to be nothing but enslavement. The plight of certain minority communities can be traced back to destruction of family unity, entrapment in poor education, and reliance on government handouts -- all tied to progressive politics.
Furthermore, progressive policies eventually lead to stagnation, malaise, and economic collapse. Progressivism in the form of communism in the USSR was eventually bankrupted by a creative nation united under a successful free-market system.
For all the bashing of capitalism by progressives, it is in business and industry where people are most often united in a common beneficial purpose. Could it be that progressives despise the nation's business community because it is this very group over which they have no direct control? Therefore, progressives press hard to gain substantial input into business operations, even though they are quite naïve when it comes to real-world commerce conditions and practice. At least with a foot in the door, they have some vicarious claim to company success and profit without the mess of direct risk or actual work.
The push is on to propagate corporate infestation and to expand the size and purview of government. Nevertheless, in this current election season, we see desperation from elite progressives who continue to seek to divide and conquer.
The spirit of liberty appears to be awakened and united, and lively opposition to progressivism is mounting. The Tea Party movement exemplifies this. And extreme vitriol from the elites toward those championing freedom and unity reveals that the pushback from the uniters is causing some serious panic among the dividers. Will such resistance translate into significant gains in Congress this time? Results from the coming election will tell.
In the meantime, it's nice to dream that someday, while walking the halls of academia, we will see signs that urge unity rather than diversity. Authentic advancement for our society will come from continued reminders and vigilance to keep us united in what truly matters -- the ability to live in freedom and to promote and practice faith, hope, and love.
Anthony J. Sadar is an adjunct college professor at schools in western Pennsylvania and author of Environmental Risk Communication: Principles and Practices for Industry (CRC Press/Lewis Publishers 2000).
