PLU president: Set aside hyper-focus on diversity

Re: “Surprise president pick baffles many at PLU,” (TNT, 4/9).

As a PLU alumnus, I understand the response of surprise and perhaps consternation over the selection of Allan Belton to be the university's next president. The Board of Regents appears to have hijacked the selection process.

However, no one seems to recognize the very easy solution to this kerfuffle. If Mr. Belton simply declares that he identifies as a black woman, everyone would be immediately happy. Ms. Belton could embrace her new office with the goodwill of diversity-minded faculty and students.

Or perhaps we could all lay aside our society's hyper-focus on race and gender, letting the person selected for any job exercise the character and skill for which he (or she or they) was chosen.