As a child, I was taught to sing, “London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady.” Although I didn’t understand the meaning of the song, I had fun dropping to the floor with other children after dancing around in a circle while singing.
Unfortunately, that’s the first tune that popped into my head when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed. Apparently, what manifested in the minds of others was something quite different.
According to one source, “Amidst the horrific news of the bridge collapse, some chose to focus on Mayor [Brandon] Scott’s age and race and proceeded to blame DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] for the bridge collapse.” I have no personal knowledge as to what factors contributed to the collapse of the bridge.
In any case, I do maintain knowledge of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA). In fact, within my blog, I’ve written quite a bit about my opposition to DEIA:
Although one may speculate as to the reasons which caused the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, I’d rather focus on how DEIA has essentially been erected into another type of BRIDGE. According to one source:
BRIDGE stands for Benchmarking Race, Inclusion, and Diversity in Global Engagement. BRIDGE is an institutional survey that explores diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) metrics, structures, and practices at the organizational level across US [United States]-registered organizations in the international development and humanitarian sector. BRIDGE has become a social movement of organizations dedicated to using evidence to advance DEI goals within their organizations and at the sectoral level. The data from BRIDGE serves as a tool for our community to ground truth organizational practices with evidence and serves as a call to action to advance equity and inclusion in the sector.
Sifting through the activistic word salad with which I became all too familiar when attending graduate school for social work, one proposal stands out to me. The source claims to “ground truth organizational practices with evidence.”
This proposal gives the source semblance of a scientific or objective model for implementing DEIA. However, the descriptive versus prescriptive distinction regarding science (description) and the science (prescription) is obvious to me. Allow me to elucidate.
Take a moment to reflect back to the U.S. national response to COVID-19. In simple terms, science describes what is and the science prescribes what should, must, or ought to be.
Because of Emergency Use Authorization authority, a so-called vaccine that didn’t actually prevent people from catching or spreading the virus was rushed for use while alternative treatments were disallowed. That wasn’t science at work; it was the science in action.
Science merely describes that an injection may stimulate the body’s immune response against a specific infectious agent or disease (is), though the science outright prescribes behavior (ought). Thus, conflating science with the science violates the is-ought problem.
This occurs when one attempts to derive an ought from an is – prescribing one treatment to the exclusion of other descriptive interventions. Given this distinction, the aforementioned source fails to demonstrate the ability to “ground truth organizational practices with evidence.”
Rather, in similar fashion as so-called vaccines prescriptively violated the scientific process, a conclusion is first establish and then evidence is sought to support the preconceived remedy. To better understand how illogical and unreasonable this practice is, consider the following syllogism:
Logical though unreasonable syllogism:
Form –
If p, then q; p; therefore, q.
Example –
If BRIDGE is a moral good, then DEIA policy must be disseminated across organizations.
BRIDGE is a moral good.
Therefore, DEIA policy must be disseminated across organizations.
Although the syllogism follows a logical form, determination of what is good or bad – implied in the major premise – is subjective in nature. Likewise, the major premise uses a prescriptive measure (“DEIA policy must be disseminated”).
This isn’t a scientific or evidence-based measure, because it doesn’t merely describe what is though it prescribes what ought to be. Thus, while conforming to the rules of logic, this syllogism isn’t reasonable.
What happens when one inverts the syllogism and begins with a conclusion? Here’s how it looks: DEIA policy must be disseminated across organizations, because BRIDGE is a moral good.
The function of science is to test through experimentation and measure results which may be replicated. However, when the conclusion is presupposed, the premises upon which the outcome is based may fail to meet experimentation and replication standards.
Using an example referenced earlier in this post, suppose that person X concludes that that Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse was due to DEIA measures. How does one experiment with and then replicate this proposal?
Correlation doesn’t imply causation. Therefore, even if a diversified workforce corresponds with the collapse, DEIA isn’t necessarily a causative factor.
Testing correlation can be accomplished, though how many locales are willing to intentionally employ DEIA measures to determine whether or not bridges across the nation will begin falling down? Even if the data suggest that BRIDGE is to blame, who’d be willing to speak against the foregone conclusion?
To be exceedingly clear, I’m no fan of DEIA or BRIDGE policy and measures. According to one source:
Our long term goal, with the help of our founding board members composed of DEI and business leaders, is to create a comprehensive BRIDGE agenda for all companies and to subsequently certify against its implementation and measure its impact.
Hollings Therapy, LLC – a company – will not be participating in the “BRIDGE agenda.” Not only are such prejudicial and arguably discriminatory actions antithetical to science and truth, I’m not entirely convinced that maintenance of DEIA as a virtue is moral or ethical.
Therefore, not only do I refuse to incorporate it into my clinical practice, I look forward to a day when BRIDGE is falling down, falling down, falling down, my fair lady. Perhaps you disagree, and I respect your ability to practice prejudice, discrimination, sexism, and racism all the same.
If you’re looking for a provider who works to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply helping you to feel better, I want to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
Asare, J. G. (2024, March 29). Baltimore bridge collapse creates more DEI attacks: How allies can push back. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2024/03/27/baltimore-bridge-collapse-creates-more-dei-attacks-how-allies-can-push-back/
Dultra, J. (2024, April 22). Wooden bridge mid-collapse into a raging river [Image]. Playground. Retrieved from https://playground.com/post/wooden-bridge-mid-collapse-into-a-raging-river-splinters-an-clvbjzw6101dds601broq8awi
Hollings, D. (2024, May 3). A bad IDEA. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/a-bad-idea
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Social Impact. (n.d.). BRIDGE – Benchmarking race, inclusion & diversity in global engagement. Retrieved from https://socialimpact.com/bridge/
We Are Bridge. (n.d.). BRIDGE is a purpose-driven community, biased to action focused on the workplace, workforce, and marketplace. BRIDGE. Retrieved from https://wearebridge.com/
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Brandon Scott. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Scott
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Scott_Key_Bridge_collapse
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