Leftists are attacking President Donald Trump, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and other conservatives for dismantling “diversity, equity, and inclusion” programs, unfairly lumping together people with disabilities with people who exploit DEI for unfair gain.
Yet forcibly requiring an agency or organization to hire someone—the DEI approach—versus not allowing them to be discriminated against (e.g., through disability protections) are very different. One is a hiring mandate, regardless of merit. The other is protection for people who are still capable of fairly competing in a meritocracy.
One is a discriminatory, unconstitutional demand that far exceeds the legal mandate that people not be discriminated against in the workplace because of race, religion, or sex; the other is a constitutional assurance of equal protection. The Americans With Disabilities Act protects…
