"I understand that some people may feel frustrated over a lost ability to insult, terrorize and abuse people they previously held under such treatment with no repercussions." Your reply to Mr. Bearden is insulting and insinuates he is a racist. Flying the Confederate flag can mean many things - including a pride in ancestors who fought in the Civil War. I don't know anyone who flies it to terrorize others. My understanding is the concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect.

It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. You are not practicing what you supposedly preach.

Luke presented a factual scenario regarding the manner by which drivers are identified as potential racers. He may not have had his facts correct as they apply to Diversity Inc., but he was spot on regarding driver development.

One of the most well-known Sprint Cup drivers is Jeff Gordon. If you read his bio, he began in racing in "go-carts" at an age many of us were still learning to ride a bicycle. His career grew as he moved up to another level of racing.

You cannot decide at age 18 to be a race car driver and expect to walk in to a NASCAR team. It is a matter of driving experience and driver achievement. Expecting NASCAR to just plop someone into a race deal would be much like taking someone out of a grade school or even high school and expecting them to function as a CEO/COO of a fortune 500 company. We know that isn't going to happen, don't we?

Anyone that hasn't been sleeping under a rock has heard about the discrimination case placed against NASCAR, and this scrutiny of their diversity commitment is an outgrowth of that process. While we need to examine the efficacy of their diversity applications we must not forget that they too have the protections all of us enjoy, innocent until proven guilty. Thus far it is only an accusation, so let's give them a break until the verdict comes in!

Dear Mr. Visconti,

Just read your comments of August 4th, 2008 related to the above topic.

I was under the impression that 'Diversity' is inclusion of all, not special selection of certain politically correct groups de jour.

Why would a Brian France declare he would prefer the fans who wave Mexican Flags, but exclude with predjudice the fan base who made NASCAR what it was at it's heyday?

If truly Diverse, shouldn't the Mexican Flaggers and Confederate Flaggers sit in the same stands and enjoy the same entertainment?

Wouldn't you agree that this so called 'Diversity' push is just a new way to discriminate? Just exactly who was it that decided a gay liberal from New York was 'diverse', but a conservative blue collar worker from Appalachia who also is fond of a Confederate Flag is not 'diverse'?

What is the secret agenda behind this 'diversity' cult?

Diversity is so warped, that the Spruance DuPont plant in Virginia, which has the remains of Confederate Veterans on site, has denied the decendants of the soldiers permission to place a stick flag on their graves during Confederate Memorial Day.

Why sir, do you openly promote a agenda that blatantly discriminates and causes actual harm?

Response from Luke Visconti, Partner and Cofounder of DiversityInc

Motorsports Industry has been around since the early twenty's. Wendell Scott, a black NASCAR driver, became the first black person to win a NASCAR Grand National race, was one of the best drivers to hit the sport, was not celebrated and given total access to the millions of corporate dollars for sponsorship.

Charlie Scott, a black NASCAR driver, no relation to Wendell Scott, was listed among the top twenty drivers of NASCAR and was a member of the orginal dream team.

The Chrysler Corporation sponsored Charlie Scott, who was outfitted like the rest of the NASCAR stars in the late forty's and fifty's.

If one of America's most powerful automotive corporation could sponsor a black driver during the time when Jim Crow was still being practiced undercover, there should not be a problem today for them to sponsor minority teams and young black and female drivers.

Corporate America, who says that they are practicing diversity inclusion in their corporate business dealings as it relates to motorsports are truly deceiving America.

The majority of corporate America's diversity VP's or directors have no say so in the sponsorship dollars that are allocated to motorsports.

I have had to educate a few diversity VP's about the sport and help show them why they need to be in the sponsorship decision making process. The purse for sponsorship dollars are usually more than the budget for any corporate America's diversity office mission.

If all motorsports marketing division of corporate America included their diversity officers into the sponsorship decision making process, NASCAR and the rest of the motorsports industry would be looking like the rest of America today.

IF black drivers where white there would be many more black and female young drivers in the fore front of NASCAR and any other motorsports intity today. Racism yeasterday is systemic today and continues to practice its un-American ethics in motorsports sponsorship.

There must be "Change" in all motorsports divisions. As I say, "movement equal improvement if we do not move we (Americans) will not improve". Wayne Clapp Executive Director of the Association For Diversity In Motorsports (AFDIM) Inc "Bridging the gap".

So no company should sponsor historical reenactments of Civil War battles? Or living history events where Confederate soldiers are being portrayed? Or cemetery clean up projects where Southern soldiers - recognized by the US Congress as having the same rights as any American soldier - are buried? And what about the many Americans of African, Mexican, Irish, Native and other cultures whose ancestors fought under the Confederate battle flag?