Male? Female? Who cares? Best is best

I sincerely hope the Oxford Board of Education decides to go back to awarding the Oxford Cup to the best student, period, regardless of their gender (please see Elise Shire’s story, “Oxford Cup policy may be revisited).

The decision to change things back in 2012 and have one male and one female winner was absolutely ridiculous.

Nothing against the Oxford Cup recipients since then, but to me, that horrible decision only served to water down this prestigious award’s significance.

It reeked of the same kind of politically-correct, touchy-feely thinking that’s led to everybody getting a ribbon or trophy just for participating.

Like everything else in life, if you’re the best at something, you’re the best.

It does not – and should not – matter if you’re a man, a woman, black, white, rich, poor, walking on two legs, rolling along in a wheelchair or marching in a parade with a rainbow flag in hand.

People are people. Everyone should be judged based on merit, character and deeds, not biology, pigmentation and economics.

When the Oxford Cup was established way back in 1930, the idea was simple – it would be awarded to the graduating senior, boy or girl, who best embodied and exemplified the qualities and values we all hold dear, from scholarship to citizenship.

Let’s restore this great tradition before some idiot decides that every graduate deserves the Oxford Cup.

Don’t laugh. It could happen.

 

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