United States Congress: F__K Diversity.

[kpete]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=&w=1484
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/01/05/the-new-congress-is-80-percent-white-80-percent-male-and-92-percent-christian/

[el_bryanto]

1. In fairness - Congress doesn't pick itself. We do.

Well the two parties throw up candidates and we vote on which white person we want.

Bryant

[Nye Bevan]

2. Given that the USA is 78% white,

the racial composition (at least of the House) is not too far off the mark. The disproportionate number of males looks like a much more significant issue.

[Spider Jerusalem]

10. the non-Hispanic white population is 63%.

The Hispanic/Latino population comprises 16.4% of the population of whom 8.7% self-reported as "white Hispanic" in the census.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States#Race_and_ethnicity

[Nye Bevan]

11. Ah, OK. Thanks (nt)

[Bluenorthwest]

3. 7 gay or bisexual people in the new Congress, one Senator, 6 Reps, all Democrats....

That's not a percentage, that's the number. 7.

[Nye Bevan]

5. Do all members of Congress formally declare their sexual orientation?

If not, isn't it possible that some may be gay or bisexual but may choose to keep this information private?

[Calista241]

7. That's a little low.

GLBT people are approximately 3% of the population, and just over 1.4% of House of Representatives, and 1% of the Senate.

[Mass]

4. Still very bad for women as well

Less than 20 % of women in the House, 20 % in the Senate.

[Nye Bevan]

6. That's the huge, glaring discrepancy.

An overwhelmingly male chamber debating abortion laws, for example, just seems terribly wrong.

[deutsey]

8. I remember before the 2000 election

listening to NPR (back when I used to be a regular listener), and hearing an interview with voters and what was motivating them to vote. The one person I recall was a suburban white woman who was voting for Bush because it was "time to circle the wagons" against the growing diversity in American culture.

I think that attitude has been a big motivating factor for what has happened to America in the ensuing years.

[Calista241]

9. What's sad

Is that Tim Scott is one of the TWO black Senators.

[Initech]

12. Diversity? Why I believe it's a very old wooden ship from the Civil War era.