McWhorter: The Problem With Dropping Standards In The Name Of "Equity"

Princeton is dropping the Greek/Latin requirement for the classics major. Yes, that's obviously a "diversity" move. And, as McWhorter notes, it's a very bad idea.

   Our "diversity" honcho once stated, in a meeting, that disciplines that couldn't sufficiently increase their "diversity" should consider chanting the nature of their discipline in order to do so. Which, as I've said before, basically means that e.g. we will be expected to stop doing philosophy if we don't make our quotas. Though...there aren't really any quotas, of course. That would be illegal. Also: too clear/definite. It's maybe more effective hanging out there as a threat with no determinate trigger. Also: no word on what we should do instead. Maybe psychology? That's a more "diverse" discipline. Or social work! That one's really "diverse"... 

   Of course this suggestion (threat?) is utterly insane. But it lies just a wee bit farther down the lunatic trajectory about which McWhorter writes. Stop saying that it isn't going to happen. Stop thinking that things will turn around before then. You can't keep singing those ridiculous tunes at this point.