To the Editor:
If “Schools can lead us to embrace diversity” (as a recent editorial says), can they also lead us to embrace unity?

In a well-written story, a winning Olympic skating program, a beautifully designed garden, a glorious Bach cantata, an eloquent tweet, an infectious rap, a pair of elegantly torn jeans, and many other extraordinary creations, unity and diversity, conflict and harmony, stress and peace, difference and commonality, order and chaos are all woven together.

Their unique, particular blend makes them admirable.

And the same goes for everyday life. A good day includes a rhythm of surprise and routine. Even the ordinary requires some balance of the expected and the delightful. We need a foundation of something that holds it all together — a unity underlying the diversity.

So I hope the schools will explore ways to celebrate similarity along with ways to celebrate variety. That way, diversity doesn’t become destructive division. And unity doesn’t become mindless compliance.

Andrew R. Genovese 

Guilderland