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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowI read Christina Hale’s Forefront column concerning Indiana Democrats and the makeup of Indiana elected officials [Democratic wins light way to party’s future, Nov. 16] with great interest. I was in the first group to be able to vote at 18 in 1974, have probably voted for more Democrats than Republicans, and consider myself a fiscal conservative and social moderate who squarely believes in equal rights and equal opportunity. However, one of the biggest mistakes Democrats keep making is constantly drawing attention to issues by race, sex, sexual preference, etc. True equality will never occur until we concentrate on electing the most qualified person regardless of sex, race or sexual preference.
When any element of an issue is continually defined by those factors, it is in fact perpetuating racism, sexism, bigotry, etc. It is inserted or asserted where it does not exist solely to promote a political ideology or to maintain a social divide.
The number of people from any such category who actually file and run for office or who apply for a particular position is more pertinent than how many are elected or hired. It’s not mathematically feasible for the number of a category elected to mirror the population unless that same number runs. Also, where sexual preference is concerned, I would surmise that there have been many more LGBTQ people run than people realize.
Martin Luther King Jr. had the right idea when he wanted people to be judged by their ability and actions, not by their color (and now sex and sexual preference etc.). His dream should be the standard we strive for.
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Ken Warner
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