Hot contrarian take incoming:
This is, of course, political posturing by the admin, not sure why they are choosing right now to do this again. However, I dont really know why anyone would want DEI programs anymore. I feel like we're fighting battles of yesteryear. I listened to a pretty lengthy podcast with Congressman Wesley Hunt (ex Army Apache driver), and it changed some of my feelings on this. Everyone says "squadron buddies," etc, but aren't there many POC who are in fact those buddies, so by saying so, you are excluding them? I also feel like having any sort of programs like this only hurts those who make it, because it makes them easy targets for "see, DEI" types. I've had more experiences with passengers coming up, when flying with a female pilot, say "so glad to see you up here", "or feel better knowing you're up here", or something like that, than I have the other way. I look around my neighborhood, id say a rather affluent suburb of a major hub city in the south, and it is extremely racially diverse, mexican, african-americans, indians, white etc...Why should one of their kids born to loving caring parents, get any sort of start on some kid born in a trailer up in a WV mountain holler born to parents on meth? I just think we've come along way since the 1970s age and most of those type of pilots are gone or one foot out the door.... Just do away with it all I say.
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