The Finch Formerly Known As Gold

4 May 2005

High in WTF Factor

Cornell University President Jeffrey Lehman, at the school's Mosaic Conference last weekend:

Integration today does not mean assimilation. Rather, it means a recognition of the value of a pluralistic society in which ideals are shared at the same time that different identities are values. They involve a recognition of the fact that integration does not describe the static demographic mix but rather involves a dynamic process of dialogue. This is a powerful and, to my mind, vital contribution to our society's understanding of diversity and I want to endorse it wholeheartedly.

Never mind "our society's understanding of diversity"; what happened to our society's understanding of English? I've read this paragraph three times and the most I can get out of it is "I like the pretty colors." Nothing wrong with that, particularly, but this guy writes like he's being paid by the buzzword.

Criminy. I got accepted at this place, back in the Jurassic period. Maybe I should consider myself fortunate to have wound up elsewhere.

(Via John Rosenberg, who can't make heads or tails of it either.)

Posted at 11:27 AM to Wastes of Oxygen


Ok, let me try to translate:
" Putting things together does not mean that all things become the same. Instead, it means that we recognize that a society with several types of people with common ideals (yet with different cultures & habits) has value to everyone. This society should not be stagnant, but should change and adapt by people contsantly talking and sharing their ideas & history. This is very important & I think it is a good idea"

OR..
"Let's sit down & talk, it's a good thing"

Posted by: Dwayne "the canoe Guy" at 11:53 AM on 4 May 2005

I guess "E Pluribus Unum" really does mean "Out of one, many" as Al Gore taught us.

Posted by: Don at 2:22 PM on 4 May 2005