Ms. Bass' point is well taken by me in the sense that I have come to believe that the concepts of cultural diversity and political correctness are in direct conflict with each other. Ms. Bass pointed out a good example of this direct conflict: In the name of what I believe to be an extreme sense of political correctness, groups of people are not being permitted to express their cultural heritage. And in, of all places, America, this is wrong. In my workplace there are workshops and events to promote cultural diversity, yet for only some groups. Some groups have "associations" so they have a "stronger voice." To me this is the conflict: Expressions of cultural heritage by some groups are seen as cultural diversity, while the expressions of cultural heritage of other groups are banned in the name of political correctness. These ideas when taken in the extreme, don't match, and I believe are dangerous because they erode the fiber of what being an American was supposed to mean. In all things, I personally believe people must strive for a sence of balance. Cultural diversity/political correctness have both become extreme, and rather than being philosophies that enrich us, they strip us of the expression of cultural heritage, and, I believe, ultimately our most basic freedom as Americans. This is very sad to me because the heritage of our country is that a large, diverse, culturally-rich, assembly of peoples came together to form something new, based on the philosophy that each and every individual still retained the ability to express their own personal beliefs. The fire burning under the "melting pot" has burned low. America IS a land of diverse cultures, the fire needs to be stoked so we are again, united. Richelle