Robert Cherenson: Only test for a president’s cabinet should be competency, not color

Re “Obama’s Cabinet has elevated Hispanics” (Page 13A, Aug. 15): I read in disbelief the statement by Kenneth Romero-Cruz, executive director of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, that his organization will watchdog each subsequent U.S. president so that no less than four members of the 23-member cabinet will be Hispanic. This will be a floor, not a ceiling.

It appears that the myopia on race just doesn’t quit. I thought we wanted the best people for the right positions, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age or any other factor. In Fisher vs. the University of Texas earlier this year, the Supreme Court decided race can be considered as one factor among many in ensuring a diverse student body – but not the only factor.

The great civil rights leader Frederick Douglass stated that employment in most occupations cannot be fixed by proportional representations due to the unequal distribution of experiences, interests and talents found among members of our society.

Romero-Cruz is talking about quotas, and quotas lead to mediocrity. The process should be colorblind, and the best people – regardless of genetics – should be selected for positions as important as the president’s cabinet.

This story was originally published August 17, 2016 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Robert Cherenson: Only test for a president’s cabinet should be competency, not color."