Can you make wine out of sour grapes?

Alas, I did not get the position that would have furthered my career to new heights. Although I will carry on and smile and do the best job that I can (I'm funny that way), I also have to consider what went awry. What did I do wrong? What am I lacking? How can I develop myself so that I might not be overlooked next time?

Sadly, I don't have an answer for that. I thought I was doing very well and have been told so by all of my bosses.

Without sounding like I'm bearing a grudge or being bitter, the fact remains that I am a young (ish) white male and it seems that this is quickly becoming a bad thing in our society. Granted, I am all for affirmative action, but even then, merit should still be a factor. Not that I am saying we have brought total equal rights into fruition by any stretch of the imagination, but I fear that when we try to be overly PC, we tend to minimize the efforts of everyone. Had I received the promotion, there are those who might say it was because I am a white male. I am sure there will be talk about the Hispanic female who got the job.

My employer states that they take diversity very seriously and our workforce should reflect the public that we serve. If you looked at the actual workforce statistically, you would notice that it does not accurately reflect (at least with current percentages) the population at large. I am a minority (and not because of my sexual orientation). I have never received any privileges because my parents were Caucasian, nor have I benefited from any type of public or private assistance because of who I am. However, I am sure that some would think it of me because I have done all right for myself, and they would still begrudge me any success.

Oh, well, I'll stop whining now. I guess my point is that we still have a long way to go in truly becoming equals. I would never minimize the struggles that people have gone through to achieve the freedoms they have now, but is it right to stack the deck so the perception is that all is well in the world? GayProf stated it much better than I did here, but diversity still is an interesting topic.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering why I thought I was a better candidate...I have three years seniority, I was a sergeant in the army, I am the go-to guy when anyone else needs assistance...and I helped train the selectee.

Go figure!