When you fly, you have an expectation that the pilot knows what he or she is doing. You hopefully feel safe and comfortable. Yet how would you react if you knew that an airline was not hiring staff based off of qualifications but rather on diversity principles? You might have serious and legitimate fears that the plane could crash!

Patrick Madrid unpacks a contentious story about United Airlines’ diversity initiatives, which have stirred up quite a storm. The CEO of United Airlines, Scott Kirby, faces backlash over a video where he champions the company’s diversity targets, especially emphasizing a quota system that aims for 50% of incoming classes, like pilots and flight attendants, to be women or people of color. Currently, only 19% of United’s pilots fall into these categories.

The diversity discussion gets more intriguing as Parick Madrid introduces comments from comedian Rob Schneider. Rob expresses concern that such diversity-focused hiring might compromise safety, fearing that the emphasis is more on skin color and gender than on actual qualifications and experience.

Patrick discusses the role of Maya Tallman, a trans-identifying individual leading the newly formed DEI committee at United Airlines. Tallman’s committee even adds a ‘B’ for ‘Belonging’ to the usual DEI acronym, reinforcing the company’s commitment to these values.

Patrick shares his concerns about the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) similar approach to hiring, which includes people with various disabilities.

This thought-provoking episode explores the potential consequences of prioritizing diversity over competence in crucial roles, and its overarching impact on public safety.

Some content may not be suitable for all audiences. You can check out the entire hour here!

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