In the past when I have used the term snowflake, I have generally been describing young people that can't seem to deal with life. They are soft, easily offended, display a victim mentality. I think we're going to have to expand that definition to include people of all ages. From the propaganda media talk shows all the way to social media influencers, the number of people who truly believe that they are going to be somehow targeted by the Trump administration or the 'far right wing' Maga supporters has grown exponentially. They are having severe emotional breakdowns.

Their latest perceived threat comes from the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion officers and departments not only in the federal government but in the private sector as well. Ford, Walmart, John Deere, Harley-Davidson, Amazon, Meta, and a host of other companies have announced the complete elimination or significant downsizing of their DEI departments. Meta said it would no longer have a team focused on diversity and inclusion and will instead “focus on how to apply fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for all, no matter your background.” What a novel concept, merit-based employment decisions.

I am skeptical that this will really happen. I would expect that some of these companies, especially the social media giants, will continue to have DEI programs in some manner. They will continue to look at quotas or give preferential treatment to people that are members of a minority demographic or the alphabet mafia.

But the number of people posting on social media or expressing their opinions on those programs that are having significant and severe emotional breakdowns is alarming. These people truly believe that not only are their rights being taken away, but they also believe they are going to be targeted in some way. Some believe they are going to be rounded up and put in concentration camps. There is a member of my own family that believes that will happen. Others believe they will be marginalized and that discrimination against them because of their inclusion in one of these so-called protected classes will now become legal.

I have seen multiple news reports along with social media posts that claim Donald Trump's executive order repealing another executive order from 1967, I believe it was,, has taken away all civil rights protections provided by the law and the Constitution of the United States. The only thing it actually did was eliminate the requirement that federal contractors have active affirmative action programs in order to be awarded government contracts. An executive order cannot repeal a duly passed law nor can it amend the Constitution. Yet people don't know that because civics is no longer taught in our schools as it was when many of us were younger.

I have watched many people call for a banding together to fight the coming storm. Some call for violence while others say they must be vigilant and call out discrimination when they see it or experience it. The problem is whenever anything negative happens to them no matter how insignificant, they believe it's because of that demographic characteristic that sets them apart from “mainstream America." They have been taught t o be and believe they are victims.

I have talked to a few and asked them what rights they lost when Donald Trump was president the first time. They do not have an answer. I asked them if they realized he was the 1st president in American history to appoint an openly gay cabinet secretary and US ambassadors. Again, they were not aware and when you point out how many openly gay members of his cabinet and other appointed posts there are in this administration, they are surprised. Yet they are not swayed by history or lack of evidence of persecution.

For the next 4 years, I'm going to pour myself a vodka tonic, light up a cigar, and sit back and enjoy the meltdowns. It will be entertaining to say the least. I will continue to provide evidence to the contrary while, as most of us will, call out any real discrimination or bigotry that occurs in our world,