GREAT commentary Monica! Thank goodness for me, I spend no time on X, but it seemed that it would be only a matter of time before its free speech stand would (correctly, but unfortunately) allow rhetoric from the Extreme RIght, a freedom that the Extreme Left have had for a long time. The Extreme Left have been fully embedded in mainstream organizations and institutions and FAIR has been the response to that. I am confident that we (FAIR) can box on the Extreme Right of us as well as we box on the Extreme Left of us.
I find X quite useful; keeps me a several months ahead of the legacy media news cycle. Also, now that Grok is very freely available, I use it in preference to a regular websearch, Google, DuckDuckGo. I decided to ask it this question:
and got this response (which is pretty fair if not entirely accurate):
"Monica Harris is the Executive Director of the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR), an organization focused on promoting a culture of fairness, understanding, and common ground, while opposing intolerance and ideological conformity. She is a Harvard Law School graduate, a Black lesbian, and a former attorney who has transitioned into a role as a writer and advocate for free speech and balanced discourse.
In the article linked at https://news.fairforall.org/p/standing-on-solid-ground-in-uncertain/comments, titled "Standing on Solid Ground in Uncertain Times," published on March 3, 2025, Monica Harris discusses the challenges and opportunities facing the United States following Donald Trump's re-election in November 2024. She reflects on the polarized political climate and warns against the dangers of replacing one form of ideological extremism with another. Specifically, she critiques the tendency to scapegoat Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives as the sole cause of societal issues, arguing that while DEI can be problematic and misguided, it is not the only factor contributing to national decline. Harris urges readers to look beyond simplistic explanations and consider deeper, systemic "root causes" of cultural and institutional failures.
She also addresses the rise of what she calls the "Woke Right," a counterreaction to the "Woke Left," cautioning that intolerance and racism on the Right could undermine the credibility of efforts to challenge similar behaviors on the Left. Harris emphasizes the need for consistency in opposing all forms of ideological overreach, regardless of political affiliation, to maintain a principled stand for fairness and reason. The article aligns with FAIR’s mission to foster dialogue and resist dogmatic approaches, positioning Harris as a voice advocating for nuance and accountability in a time of political upheaval."
I didn’t vote for Trump or the DEI hire, and his performance has steadily gone down hill since his inauguration. There were nevertheless three executive orders (EO’s) that Trump signed early that are worthy of support by everyone across the moderate political spectrum
The first of these EO’s recognizes that open borders are politically unacceptable and that the age of mass migration is over. Importing millions of people who will work for next to nothing just to be here destroys the wages of working class Americans and drives up housing costs when we can't house our own citizens. People cannot overpopulate their home country and just expect to move to greener pastures. There are no more green pastures. They need to voluntarily reduce their own country's population to an environmentally sustainable level, stay home and work there to improve their living conditions.
His second important EO addresses the insanity of gender identity which denies the reality of human sexuality and results in men invading women’s sports, restrooms, locker rooms and prisons. Women need and are entitled to privacy from men. Even more diabolical is the mutilation of innocent children (many who would grow up gay) in pursuit of the impossible because you can’t change your birth sex.
Finally his EO that corrects the craziness of DEI which discriminates against whites, Asians and men in attempting to cure past discrimination against others is absolutely the correct approach. Who could believe that creating a new privileged class and a new discriminated against class would provide a solution to the problem? Not to mention that it’s clearly unconstitutional.
It would well serve both Democrats and independents to get behind these changes even as they choose to vigorously oppose the increasingly crazy aspects of his agenda.
Appreciate FAIR trying to keep things in balance. Those who comment on you supposedly ignoring the abuses of the right show their hand. You HAVE expressed wariness of extremes. But the upside-down nature of the past admin cried out for sanity. Keep up the good work
Thank you so much for pointing that out, Ken. We have always done our best to highlight abuses on either extreme. FAIR came into existence during a period in which abuses on the Left exceeded those on the Right, primarily because they were enabled by government and institutions. Although it's possible that the Right might not (yet) have the power to capture institutions, there is still a great deal of damage that can be done by government, and we need to be mindful of this.
Hired by DEI, fired by DEI. That's as it should be. Those so fired are more than welcome to reapply to be hired on the basis of merit (should the position still exist after DOGE's examination). Even better, those former employees will have experience at the job working in their favor. Good luck!
Wouldn't it be more efficient to evaluate current hires' (ones whom you have labeled "DEI hires") competence and skillset and determine whether they would still qualify for the job, instead of just firing them all without analysis?
It's an exercise to demonstrate (and inculcate) institutional meritocracy. A little inefficiency in the process is a feature, not a bug. As well, the DEI hire should be made to pay a small price for taking the job on other than a meritocratic basis to begin with.
The E.O. reads: "Federal employment practices, including Federal employee performance reviews, shall reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work and shall not under any circumstances consider DEI or DEIA factors, goals, policies, mandates, or requirements."
This article made me fall in love with FAIR all over again! I tip my hat 🎩 to you, Monica for this remarkable article and all the work you and FAIR do! Please ignore the rude and unfair comment from that troll at the very bottom. You have summed up succinctly with the balance and nuance we’ve come to expect from FAIR the issues with extremes on both sides of the aisle America 🇺🇸 has dealt with in the past and deals with today. The woke left and the rising woke right are both extremely dangerous, hateful and threaten freedom of speech. Both love censorship, banning books, policing comedy, language policing, threatens the civil liberties of our citizens, and getting rid of pieces of history they don’t like. I stand with FAIR in their fight against both the woke inquisitors of the left and right and in the protection the rights and liberties of ALL Americans! If I could make a request, I’d leave to see a post by you Monica and FAIR about the Israel-Palestine Conflict. Now need to stand against the emerging antisemitism in this country and stand for the safety of Jewish and Zionist students and faculty on college campuses as well as protection of the free speech of Jewish and Zionist speakers. But will equal vigor we must stand for free speech for Pro-Palestine students and faculty and oppose the rising Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism in this country. We must also take a stand against anti-BDS laws and the ban on the documentary No Other Land. I’ve heard criticism from some quarters that FAIR is a pro-Zionist organization and that Palestinians are ignored by FAIR. I’d like to help correct that false perception if I can. I think such an article is just what we need right now!
I read this piece with interest, wondering how FAIR was going to spin this dehumanizing, bigoted and caustic new brand of American 'leadership' into something good, and sure enough, you found a way to continue to support it broadly by condemning a few examples of supposedly isolated extremism as 'fringe.' It's very similar to the wonderfully creative FAIR position that America can now openly despise this micro-minority of transgender folks without actually being intolerant. As someone who likes to write, I actually appreciate the dexterity of language-twisting that it requires to carry water for the hateful while calling it moderate common sense.
When I read FAIR, and scrape past the self-admiration that some writers have for their more pure and just life views, I feel that the foundation of FAIR's point of view is the idea that the playing field of human pursuit is level. Race, gender, country of origin, sexual orientation, religion, income - these are all just aspects of someone's identity but in this wonderful, merit-based world they don't need to play a role in advancement or opportunity. The histories of treatment for these people and communities doesn't need to be dwelled on, in fact that need to be ignored because it creates an unnecessary emotional burden for the rest of our good society. The wonderful fair-minded people will just work it out, promote the hard-working folks who 'deserve' it, admit the most thoughtful candidates to their university, pay people what they deserve regardless of their race or gender. It would be amusing to read the fantasy version of our culture if it wasn't so horribly malignant.
No one who understands American history can play this little game with sincerity. If left unchallenged, America would still have a country where black people and women were considered property, where housing options were race-mandated, where being gay was illegal, and education is a right for only for the wealthy. Trying to prevent measures that start to level that playing field, teaching actual history starting with the indigenous, being honest about the oppression that has come before and is being strengthened very day by FAIR's favorite electeds)... this is the work you've committed to - twisting words and realities to keep the status quo in place. Spare me the hand-wringing about the frightening new fringe ... these are your people spouting your ideas, just out from behind the curtain.
Colorblind equality of opportunity. May the most able and qualified person for the job win. In the event two or more candidates are indistinguishable in aptness and ability for the position, a coin toss (NOT racial, gender, or other flavors of pokemon points) should decide the winning candidate. Like it says in the rulebook—the Constitution of the United States of America, as amended.
Great article, agree completely. Would be interested in ideas of responding to bigoted speech on X and other venues while respecting the right of free speech. The most obvious thing it’s just to enter the conversation and say “this is ignorant and bigoted,“. but I really hate those sorts of Internet arguments. They seem absolutely pointless to me. Ideas welcome!
As I thought more about this, what I’m going to do is increase my funding of FAIR and the Free Press so they can continue fight against this type of bigoted thought with my support. Any other organizations that are worthy of funding to this purpose? Let me know in a reply.
So NOW you finally tell us about the dangers of the Right. Would have been good to hear this over the past couple of years along with your regular diatribes against the woke left. It was always clear how horrible parts of the right were; they never hid it. But YOU STAYED SILENT. But now, NOW, you speak out? Thanks for nothing.
To win the past election the policies of the regressive left needed to be abandoned. They weren't and the Dems lost. The electorate wasn't going to listen and that's why people were castigating the left and not the right.
GREAT commentary Monica! Thank goodness for me, I spend no time on X, but it seemed that it would be only a matter of time before its free speech stand would (correctly, but unfortunately) allow rhetoric from the Extreme RIght, a freedom that the Extreme Left have had for a long time. The Extreme Left have been fully embedded in mainstream organizations and institutions and FAIR has been the response to that. I am confident that we (FAIR) can box on the Extreme Right of us as well as we box on the Extreme Left of us.
I find X quite useful; keeps me a several months ahead of the legacy media news cycle. Also, now that Grok is very freely available, I use it in preference to a regular websearch, Google, DuckDuckGo. I decided to ask it this question:
"Who is Monica Harris and what is she talking about here: https://news.fairforall.org/p/standing-on-solid-ground-in-uncertain/comments ?"
and got this response (which is pretty fair if not entirely accurate):
"Monica Harris is the Executive Director of the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR), an organization focused on promoting a culture of fairness, understanding, and common ground, while opposing intolerance and ideological conformity. She is a Harvard Law School graduate, a Black lesbian, and a former attorney who has transitioned into a role as a writer and advocate for free speech and balanced discourse.
In the article linked at https://news.fairforall.org/p/standing-on-solid-ground-in-uncertain/comments, titled "Standing on Solid Ground in Uncertain Times," published on March 3, 2025, Monica Harris discusses the challenges and opportunities facing the United States following Donald Trump's re-election in November 2024. She reflects on the polarized political climate and warns against the dangers of replacing one form of ideological extremism with another. Specifically, she critiques the tendency to scapegoat Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives as the sole cause of societal issues, arguing that while DEI can be problematic and misguided, it is not the only factor contributing to national decline. Harris urges readers to look beyond simplistic explanations and consider deeper, systemic "root causes" of cultural and institutional failures.
She also addresses the rise of what she calls the "Woke Right," a counterreaction to the "Woke Left," cautioning that intolerance and racism on the Right could undermine the credibility of efforts to challenge similar behaviors on the Left. Harris emphasizes the need for consistency in opposing all forms of ideological overreach, regardless of political affiliation, to maintain a principled stand for fairness and reason. The article aligns with FAIR’s mission to foster dialogue and resist dogmatic approaches, positioning Harris as a voice advocating for nuance and accountability in a time of political upheaval."
Well said. Love the mission and values of FAIR. Pushback against hate or intolerance is always necessary, no matter the source.
I didn’t vote for Trump or the DEI hire, and his performance has steadily gone down hill since his inauguration. There were nevertheless three executive orders (EO’s) that Trump signed early that are worthy of support by everyone across the moderate political spectrum
The first of these EO’s recognizes that open borders are politically unacceptable and that the age of mass migration is over. Importing millions of people who will work for next to nothing just to be here destroys the wages of working class Americans and drives up housing costs when we can't house our own citizens. People cannot overpopulate their home country and just expect to move to greener pastures. There are no more green pastures. They need to voluntarily reduce their own country's population to an environmentally sustainable level, stay home and work there to improve their living conditions.
His second important EO addresses the insanity of gender identity which denies the reality of human sexuality and results in men invading women’s sports, restrooms, locker rooms and prisons. Women need and are entitled to privacy from men. Even more diabolical is the mutilation of innocent children (many who would grow up gay) in pursuit of the impossible because you can’t change your birth sex.
Finally his EO that corrects the craziness of DEI which discriminates against whites, Asians and men in attempting to cure past discrimination against others is absolutely the correct approach. Who could believe that creating a new privileged class and a new discriminated against class would provide a solution to the problem? Not to mention that it’s clearly unconstitutional.
It would well serve both Democrats and independents to get behind these changes even as they choose to vigorously oppose the increasingly crazy aspects of his agenda.
Appreciate FAIR trying to keep things in balance. Those who comment on you supposedly ignoring the abuses of the right show their hand. You HAVE expressed wariness of extremes. But the upside-down nature of the past admin cried out for sanity. Keep up the good work
Thank you so much for pointing that out, Ken. We have always done our best to highlight abuses on either extreme. FAIR came into existence during a period in which abuses on the Left exceeded those on the Right, primarily because they were enabled by government and institutions. Although it's possible that the Right might not (yet) have the power to capture institutions, there is still a great deal of damage that can be done by government, and we need to be mindful of this.
One of the things I’ve been proud lately of is seeing so many people here on Substack standing up to issues on both the left and the right.
I have my worries about the current administration, but seeing the number of strong-willed centrists here gives me hope.
Wise words here and thank you for this piece!
Hired by DEI, fired by DEI. That's as it should be. Those so fired are more than welcome to reapply to be hired on the basis of merit (should the position still exist after DOGE's examination). Even better, those former employees will have experience at the job working in their favor. Good luck!
Wouldn't it be more efficient to evaluate current hires' (ones whom you have labeled "DEI hires") competence and skillset and determine whether they would still qualify for the job, instead of just firing them all without analysis?
It's an exercise to demonstrate (and inculcate) institutional meritocracy. A little inefficiency in the process is a feature, not a bug. As well, the DEI hire should be made to pay a small price for taking the job on other than a meritocratic basis to begin with.
This is it: catching the pendulum in the center. That is the challenge of the next 8-12 years.
The antidote between the extreme black and white pendulum parties and people lies in the nuanced grey zone of the center.
The answers are not in these extreme pendulum swings.
https://open.substack.com/pub/mindshiftmusings/p/peaceful-warriors-of-the-grey-zone?r=3vwc2d&utm_medium=ios
One of your best yet!
Thank you for this post. https://x.com/dennisjsaffran/status/1898112045158908234
Thank you, Dennis 🙏
The E.O. reads: "Federal employment practices, including Federal employee performance reviews, shall reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work and shall not under any circumstances consider DEI or DEIA factors, goals, policies, mandates, or requirements."
Count me among those who were appalled and sickened by the leftist extremism and will stand against
This article made me fall in love with FAIR all over again! I tip my hat 🎩 to you, Monica for this remarkable article and all the work you and FAIR do! Please ignore the rude and unfair comment from that troll at the very bottom. You have summed up succinctly with the balance and nuance we’ve come to expect from FAIR the issues with extremes on both sides of the aisle America 🇺🇸 has dealt with in the past and deals with today. The woke left and the rising woke right are both extremely dangerous, hateful and threaten freedom of speech. Both love censorship, banning books, policing comedy, language policing, threatens the civil liberties of our citizens, and getting rid of pieces of history they don’t like. I stand with FAIR in their fight against both the woke inquisitors of the left and right and in the protection the rights and liberties of ALL Americans! If I could make a request, I’d leave to see a post by you Monica and FAIR about the Israel-Palestine Conflict. Now need to stand against the emerging antisemitism in this country and stand for the safety of Jewish and Zionist students and faculty on college campuses as well as protection of the free speech of Jewish and Zionist speakers. But will equal vigor we must stand for free speech for Pro-Palestine students and faculty and oppose the rising Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism in this country. We must also take a stand against anti-BDS laws and the ban on the documentary No Other Land. I’ve heard criticism from some quarters that FAIR is a pro-Zionist organization and that Palestinians are ignored by FAIR. I’d like to help correct that false perception if I can. I think such an article is just what we need right now!
I read this piece with interest, wondering how FAIR was going to spin this dehumanizing, bigoted and caustic new brand of American 'leadership' into something good, and sure enough, you found a way to continue to support it broadly by condemning a few examples of supposedly isolated extremism as 'fringe.' It's very similar to the wonderfully creative FAIR position that America can now openly despise this micro-minority of transgender folks without actually being intolerant. As someone who likes to write, I actually appreciate the dexterity of language-twisting that it requires to carry water for the hateful while calling it moderate common sense.
When I read FAIR, and scrape past the self-admiration that some writers have for their more pure and just life views, I feel that the foundation of FAIR's point of view is the idea that the playing field of human pursuit is level. Race, gender, country of origin, sexual orientation, religion, income - these are all just aspects of someone's identity but in this wonderful, merit-based world they don't need to play a role in advancement or opportunity. The histories of treatment for these people and communities doesn't need to be dwelled on, in fact that need to be ignored because it creates an unnecessary emotional burden for the rest of our good society. The wonderful fair-minded people will just work it out, promote the hard-working folks who 'deserve' it, admit the most thoughtful candidates to their university, pay people what they deserve regardless of their race or gender. It would be amusing to read the fantasy version of our culture if it wasn't so horribly malignant.
No one who understands American history can play this little game with sincerity. If left unchallenged, America would still have a country where black people and women were considered property, where housing options were race-mandated, where being gay was illegal, and education is a right for only for the wealthy. Trying to prevent measures that start to level that playing field, teaching actual history starting with the indigenous, being honest about the oppression that has come before and is being strengthened very day by FAIR's favorite electeds)... this is the work you've committed to - twisting words and realities to keep the status quo in place. Spare me the hand-wringing about the frightening new fringe ... these are your people spouting your ideas, just out from behind the curtain.
Colorblind equality of opportunity. May the most able and qualified person for the job win. In the event two or more candidates are indistinguishable in aptness and ability for the position, a coin toss (NOT racial, gender, or other flavors of pokemon points) should decide the winning candidate. Like it says in the rulebook—the Constitution of the United States of America, as amended.
Great article, agree completely. Would be interested in ideas of responding to bigoted speech on X and other venues while respecting the right of free speech. The most obvious thing it’s just to enter the conversation and say “this is ignorant and bigoted,“. but I really hate those sorts of Internet arguments. They seem absolutely pointless to me. Ideas welcome!
As I thought more about this, what I’m going to do is increase my funding of FAIR and the Free Press so they can continue fight against this type of bigoted thought with my support. Any other organizations that are worthy of funding to this purpose? Let me know in a reply.
So NOW you finally tell us about the dangers of the Right. Would have been good to hear this over the past couple of years along with your regular diatribes against the woke left. It was always clear how horrible parts of the right were; they never hid it. But YOU STAYED SILENT. But now, NOW, you speak out? Thanks for nothing.
To win the past election the policies of the regressive left needed to be abandoned. They weren't and the Dems lost. The electorate wasn't going to listen and that's why people were castigating the left and not the right.