Land of Many Nations

   Americans give lip service to the concept of diversity. Despite all the talk praising the value of a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society, reality shows a wide and vivid picture of bias, bigotry, prejudice and favoritism in schools, workplaces, communities and politics.
   These preferences and actions take many forms, some subtle and others blatant. Will such a scene ever end? Not likely, given the "birds of a feather" syndrome widespread among all creatures, including humans.
   People flock together according to gender, culture, race, ethnicity, age, education and other factors. This is not in itself evil; it's what people do, just as the herd instinct brings other animals together, for social interaction and protection.
   This herding instinct becomes a moral issue when members of one group act to mistreat or expel others, solely because they "look different," or they "talk funny," or they wear odd clothing, or they practice a different religion, or have no spiritual practice at all, or because of gender, or race, or because they are strangers, or their parents came from elsewhere, or they are too tall, or not tall enough, or too thin, or too heavy, or not attractive enough, or not educated enough, or not smart enough, or not active enough, or not young enough, or not energetic enough, or even too energetic, or not wealthy enough, or too wealthy, or any of dozens of other reasons to rationalize and justify discrimination against them.
   America is and has always been a Land of Many Nations.