How would it feel, knowing the only reason you got a seat on the rocket was because of your gender or color? In a way, it still keeps in place the alleged systemic issues, because the perception is that the institution is granting participation, it wasn’t earned. Kinda like when football teams let a kid come on the field to “score a touchdown.” Sure, they crossed the line, but nobody actually buys it.
Good!<p>I dont really care about the colour of your skin, where you were born, what religion you follow, who your parents are, whether you are male or female, I dont care how old you are, I dont care if you are gay or straight or bi, and I certainly do not care what self assigned gender-neutral pronouns you use.<p>For me it has always been about using the best, most highly skilled and qualified people to do the job.<p>It really is that simple.
And now they're being fired <i>because</i> they're a black man and a white woman. They're not going to reconsider Jeremy Hansen, even though it's his first space mission -- he surely cannot be the "best qualified" for a job that others have done and he hasn't.<p>That's no dig at Hansen, who is surely immensely qualified. But in a system where the "merits" are not precisely defined, many people can be equally qualified. So we end up defining women and black people as "DEI" hires, while white men are given a pass.