Tea at Trianon: The Differences Between Civil Rights Laws and DEI Policies

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Sunday, March 16, 2025

The Differences Between Civil Rights Laws and DEI Policies

From The Easton Gazette:

The Civil Rights Acts are federal laws prohibiting discrimination. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a federal law in the United States that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. It’s a key piece of legislation aimed at ensuring equal access and treatment in areas like education, healthcare, transportation, and other federally funded services.

Title VI states that "No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." (42 U.S.C. § 2000d). This applies to entities like schools, universities, hospitals, and state or local government agencies that take federal money.

Enforcement typically falls to federal agencies that provide the funding—like the Department of Education or Health and Human Services. They can investigate complaints, set regulations, and, if necessary, cut off funding to non-compliant programs. Individuals can also file lawsuits if they’ve been discriminated against, though proving intent isn’t always required; showing a discriminatory effect can sometimes suffice. (Read more.)