Two “diversity champions” have been hired by NASA. The agency has succumbed to the woke ideology of the Biden administration and joined in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Steve Shih was chosen as “the agency’s first Diversity Ambassador” and Elaine Ho was chosen as the next associate administrator for the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity at the organization’s headquarters. The United States is the most diverse country in the world so I’m not sure why the space agency felt the need to virtue signal its wokeness. NASA must know that this decision may not be too popular with American taxpayers because after the announcement went up on social media, one account tied to NASA closed the comments to the story.

The diversity of our NASA team is what brings different perspectives to our missions, and we celebrate and share their stories. To protect our people from personal attacks, we have decided to limit comments on these posts.

— NASA Universe (@NASAUniverse) March 28, 2023

They can’t handle the truth.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson released a press statement. Nelson is a former astronaut and a U.S. Senator from Florida. He should know better than to go down this road. At age 80, he is no better than the other 80-year-old trying to check identity boxes rather than concentrate on excellence in hiring and staffing government agencies.

“Now, more than ever, NASA is leading all of humanity on an unprecedented journey of discovery, exploration and innovation,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a press statement. “To be successful in our missions, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility must continue to be at the forefront. Steve and Elaine’s leadership will help NASA continue to ensure our workforce reflects all of America and to inspire partners throughout our nation – for the benefit of all humanity.”

NASA defines diversity on its website as the “entire universe of differences and similarities.” It defines inclusion as “the full participation, belonging, and contribution of organizations and individuals.” The dirty little secret is that NASA has been quietly checking identity boxes for years. It is a regular occurrence for a flight crew to be announced and for the announcement to note a “first”, whether it is a crew member’s gender, sexual identity, or ethnic background. Going deeper into the woke ideology demands of DEI is unnecessary and redundant.

The Pentagon has been pushing DEI initiatives which are especially confusing because the military has been fully diversified for a long time. People of all backgrounds join for the opportunities military service provides. The Air Force recently faced criticism for claiming an “inclusive and equitable culture” were an important part of beating China in March. I’m not sure what that refers to but if it is the Chinese balloon that spied on our military base facilities across the country, did we really “beat China?” The balloon was shot down, finally, after it was allowed to float across the sky all the way from the West Coast to the East Coast.

What exactly are the jobs of these two employees? Let’s take a look at the press release.

As diversity ambassador, Shih will further NASA’s DEIA initiatives by building key strategic alliances with external partners, enabling NASA to continue being a model agency and leader for DEIA. In this role, Shih will engage NASA’s partners – including across the government, private sector, academia, and non-governmental organizations – to learn and promote best practices for NASA to recruit, hire, engage, and retain the most talented individuals from all backgrounds and life experiences. With his experience leading the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity since 2017, Shih will build on his three decades of federal expertise and help NASA continue to enable everyone to contribute inclusively to NASA and to the United States.

As Shih transitions to the role of diversity ambassador, Ho will bring extensive DEIA expertise to the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. She most recently has served as the deputy associate administrator for NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, leading a wide-ranging portfolio of projects benefiting students, universities, and educational institutions across the country to inspire, engage, and educate the Artemis Generation.

Ho previously served as the chief diversity officer for the Department of Agriculture and Internal Revenue Service, as well as currently serving as a senior advisor for DEIA as a colonel in the Air Force Reserve. Ho also has held several leadership roles in the White House, including senior policy advisor for former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let Girls Learn initiative, chief of staff of the United States Digital Service, and deputy chief of staff in the Office of Science and Technology Policy. She recently returned to NASA from the Office of the Vice President’s National Space Council, where she served as director of space STEM policy.

Shih has thirty years of experience working for the government. Ho is a former policy advisor to Michelle Obama from her days as first lady. These are political hires. Woke ideology often shuts out those with different political views but the space program is supposed to be above all that. This sounds to be another layer of a government bureaucracy where it is really not needed.

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