Undoubtedly, the well-intentioned participants in the discussion of “diversity” thought it an important issue, forgetting that Martin Luther King had moved on to the immorality of a society involved in the Vietnam War, while community groups still had touchy-feely discussions about integration.

The real threats to diversity at the university are now coming from increasingly out-of-control governmental bureaucracies using the disguise of the war on terror to promote their own agendas against the freedoms of the American people. Even a conservative Republican like Senator Chuck Grassley is on the side of the angels in attempting to put some brakes on the Pentagon’s proposed TIA program to spy on American civilians.

Intellectual diversity in the universities will be diluted by the intimidation implied by the new surveillance techniques. Why should male students who do not register for the Selective Service currently be ineligible for federal student loans? What is the effect on free speech at Iowa State of putting financial barriers in the way of those who may have legitimate objections to registering for the Selective Service? Can the FBI use as an excuse for detaining someone they are questioning the fact that they are technically not obeying the law when they do not report address changes after registering for the Selective Service?

Look at how the FBI and INS have treated recent “detainees” and enlarge the focus of discussion on diversity to include intellectual diversity without oversight from the feds.

John Broman