My guess is that they were too busy laughing. That’s just a hunch, but I think it’s a solid one. After all, that was my reaction.

Last week, when news came out about Portland officials attending a three-day diversity training conference, I sent a quick email to some of our Vancouver leaders to get their reaction. When I didn’t hear back from them for a couple hours, well, I chalked it up to giggles. And to snickers. And to guffaws.

What other possible response could there be? What other possible reaction is appropriate for the absurdity that came out of Portland last week? Oh, there’s nothing wrong with a little diversity training. It’s just that if the writers for Saturday Night Live were to devise a sketch mocking political correctness, this would be the result.

Portland last week sent 16 white, male employees and managers — including Mayor Charlie Hales and Police Chief Mike Reese — to a training session at The Resort at the Mountain near Mount Hood. The company conducting the training? It’s a Portland-based firm called White Men as Full Diversity Partners. Seriously. Nothing subtle like “Getting in Touch With Your Inner Prejudices” or “Touchy, Feely, and Sensitive.” The name of the company is White Men as Full Diversity Partners.

Which apparently touches upon something Portland’s leaders are missing deep in the recesses of their souls. According to The Oregonian, a spokesperson for Mayor Hales said, “Most of the city’s top administration is white and male. In order to address inequities in the city, the white male leadership needs a deep understanding of the Portland community in its wholeness and complexity.”