🤬 I got an email titled: End DEI Forever

Fellow Patriot,  Of the many degradations that have torn the fabric of American society in our lifetimes, one of the most damaging is the concept of DEI (or “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”).   This pernicious political concept is designed mainly to punish and debilitate Americans based solely on the color of their skin or their sex. The overall aim of leftist projects like DEI is to fragment, weaken, and demoralize a society to pave the way for socialism.   DEI is unconstitutional, immoral, and a serious threat to America. Merit matters–not an American citizen’s race or sex.  That’s why America First Legal, more than any other organization, has aggressively stopped, blocked, and dismantled DEI everywhere we find it. DONATE NOW TO HELP US DEMOLISH DEI >>  We have sued dozens of corporations, universities, and other organizations for their illegal DEI policies, rules, and hiring practices, which have been destroying our lawful American culture of merit, civility, and fairness. Not only did we sue, but we have been winning and forcing organizations to terminate these programs and permanently eliminate even the mere mention of DEI from their operations.  Important: The problem is bigger than you know.What’s truly startling about DEI is how fast it was adopted by nearly all corporations, schools, and non-profits at once—even corporations like Cracker Barrel appear to have gone all-in on DEI, unlawfully offering special employment benefits to certain races and sexes. This was all strategically planned and pushed by people who hoped that no one would dare fight back, but we did, and we’re winning this fight! Please donate right now to help us continue to Demolish DEI >>  Gene Hamilton,  President, America First Legal Important Note: If you donate before July 31, your donation will be matched by our generous friend and supporter, Mike Rydin. So if destroying DEI is important to you, please donate right now, and your donation and impact will be DOUBLED instantly. Thank you! >>  DONATE America First Legal Foundation is an IRS-approved section 501(c)(3) public charity. Your donation to America First Legal Foundation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. 611 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE #231 Washington, D.C. 20003 Unsubscribe

My response:

Enough With the Lies: DEI Is Not the Threat—You Are

Let’s cut the crap.

Gene Hamilton and the so-called “America First Legal” group want you to believe that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—a set of values aimed at ensuring everyone, regardless of race, gender, or background, gets a fair shot—is somehow the single most dangerous threat to American society. Not authoritarianism. Not book bans. Not attacks on voting rights. Nope—it’s inclusive hiring and the basic decency of treating people with dignity. That’s what’s keeping them up at night.

This isn’t a policy argument. It’s a dog whistle symphony played for an audience that’s been told for decades that progress for someone else means loss for them. And now they’re being manipulated—again—by the same cynical operatives who brought you family separation, the Muslim ban, and attacks on LGBTQ rights.

Let’s break this down:

1. DEI is not unconstitutional. Racism is.

The Constitution doesn’t guarantee anyone the right to be shielded from competition. It guarantees equal protection under the law. DEI initiatives expand access to opportunity—they don’t reduce it. What actually violates the Constitution? Systemic discrimination that denies people opportunities because of their race, gender, or background. The kind that existed for centuries before DEI was ever a term.

2. “Merit” is not a neutral concept.

Hamilton invokes “merit” like it’s a holy word chiseled into the base of the Statue of Liberty. But let’s not pretend that “merit” has ever been evaluated in a vacuum. It’s often just a cover for maintaining the status quo—where privilege is confused for talent, and inherited advantage is mistaken for hard work.

3. DEI doesn’t punish people—it opens doors.

Programs that seek to level the playing field aren’t designed to “punish” anyone. They’re a response to centuries of exclusion and inequity. This isn’t oppression—it’s accountability. The goal isn’t to tear anyone down; it’s to ensure that success isn’t reserved for the usual suspects in the boardroom, the lab, or the classroom.

4. You know what really demoralizes society? Hatred masquerading as patriotism.

America First Legal sues corporations and schools because they’re terrified of an America where everyone has a seat at the table. Not just people who look like them or vote like them. That’s not patriotism—it’s white grievance politics dressed up in legalese.

5. Cracker Barrel? Seriously?

Are we now meant to believe the greatest existential threat to the republic is… Cracker Barrel offering inclusive hiring practices? This is satire disguised as seriousness. But make no mistake—the goal isn’t just to eliminate DEI policies. It’s to erase the progress we’ve made toward a more just and equal society.

6. Don’t be fooled. This isn’t about “fairness.” It’s about fear.

Fear that your kid might not get the same leg up simply because someone else finally got a fair shot. Fear that the corner office, the grant, the promotion might go to a woman of color with a better resume. And fear that their outdated version of America—rigged, racist, male-dominated—is slowly, finally being replaced by something more just.

Here’s the truth:

DEI isn’t the problem. People like Gene Hamilton are.

They want to turn back the clock—not to the 1950s, but to an era when people knew their “place.” They fear diversity because they fear change. But America has always changed. That’s what makes it great.

If you want to support something worth fighting for, don’t donate to a group suing companies for giving a damn. Support organizations that build equity, amplify marginalized voices, and remind people that fairness isn’t a zero-sum game.

Because the only thing more un-American than DEI…

is the idea that equality is dangerous.

Julie Bolejack, MBA