By now just about everyone has heard the terms “celebrate diversity” and “promote multiculturalism.” I went to college too long ago to understand why we need or would want to do either.

There are several definitions of ‘celebrate’, including get drunk at a party and commemorate with ceremonies. But I suppose users of the term mean that we should extol or praise diversity. People have been different for as far back as we have knowledge that people existed. Trees are different too. Will we someday be called upon to celebrate that? I can understand the need to respect people that are different from us, but I don’t understand why we need to celebrate something that has been a part of nature for thousands of years.

In fact, it seems a little arrogant to me. Who is doing the celebrating? Do we have the consent of all ethnic or otherwise diverse groups to celebrate their diversity? I seriously doubt that the Amish people want to participate in the celebration.

I have similar reservations about promoting multiculturalism. In this usage, ‘promote’ means to help or encourage to exist or flourish. Now why in the world do we need to do that? I can understand the need to accept the fact that many cultures differ significantly from our own, and the need to treat them with the respect that they deserve. But there are plenty of different cultures in the world and in our country. I don’t see the need to create any more or help the existing ones to flourish. Again, this would seem a bit arrogant to me. If a culture can’t flourish on its own, then perhaps it’s time for it to disappear. Who are we to think that we can prop it up and help it survive? I believe that we should be promoting assimilation, not multiculturalism.