Diversity, Respect and Awareness

"Hey, the Mexican is stealing the furniture."  The rest of the crew laughed heartily.

I kid you not, that's what happend today as my primary upholstery subcontractor was picking up something at our request.  The perpetrators were cabinet installers and Juan was so mortified, he picked up the phone and called our office.  Rightfully, he was seeing red.  Our lead designer immediately said we would contact the owner of the company but Juan was only calling to let us know what happend.  He planned to contact the company himself.

As I thought about it, I couldn't let this go.  This cabinet shop has worked with us successfully, at least at the project management level, for years.  So since it was after hours, I wrote to the owner with a copy to the project manager and told them it was unbelievable and unacceptable, and that I expected Juan to get a call immediately with a heartfelt apology, and that at the very least, they owed him a promise of diversity training, if not a turnover in installers.

Why aren't we as a whole society beyond this type of behavior?  I can hear some saying "well, it was an isolated incident by a bunch of jerks."  I don't agree.  This country was built on and seems proud to be a melting pot of cultures and people - yet racism still blatantly exists; negative comments about our neighbors to the south, despite the hard work they provide to our society, happen often; bakeries and other businesses deny service to the gay community; political hatred is at an all-time high; and we joke about drivers who have a different look.  I'm guilty, you're guilty, don't try to deny it.  We must remember that the statements we make, even in jest, even if they are true, must be respectful and must not make human beings feel less than human.  It just isn't right.

It will take everyone's concerted awareness that whatever we say touches something or someone.  If it isn't kind, why say it?  If you have to say "I shouldn't say this, but ...", then don't.  Wouldn't it be nice if, in our lifetime, the same harmony we see at every Olympics were an everyday thing?  I'm not talking about free-speech. I'm talking about respect and diversity - and we can all take refreshers regularly.

I've just had one.