Is Performance the Measure of Merit?
For many decades, after the Wright Brothers invented powered flight, the U.S. federal government would not allow African-Americans to become U.S. military pilots.
Charles Anderson, known as the “Father of Black Aviation,” became a flight instructor for potential black military pilots when the government finally allowed an experimental flight-school program in Tuskegee, Alabama. He eventually worked with nearly 1,000 students.
“The Chief,” as Anderson was known - because he had so many logged hours as a pilot - said that “Performance is the measure of merit.” What does this mean to you?
Is there any situation you can envision when performance would not be the measure of merit? If so, when would that be?