Who says you can't send a duck to Eagle School?

One of the most common questions I am asked about my book is, "how did you come up with the idea?"
Many years ago, I was listening to an interview with a business owner who was bragging about how well his employees were trained, his response was, "well you know, you can't send a Duck to Eagle School".
Those words bothered me so much that I began to develop the story. Those words still bother me. You see, I believe that the sentiment of those words are at the heart of intolerance.
As a society we protect eagles but if you are a duck, well...
If ducks go missing on an army base then there is not a sense of urgency in finding out what happened. But if you an eagle in the military and you take inappropriate pictures of yourself with a fresh kill, then you are pardoned by the President. If you are a duck and you are at risk of losing your small business then there is little help in terms of relief. But if you are an eagle and a corporate head and your business is affected then you can expect to have resources at the ready to help compensate for your losses. If you are a duck and you immigrate to this country to try and save your family then you are locked in cages. But if you are an eagle and you immigrate to this country, then you marry someone wealthy who becomes the President. It is the eagles of this country who continue to believe they are justified in keeping their knees on the necks of ducks, even until the duck dies because after all, he is just a duck.
It's easy to look down at a duck just because he/she is a duck. Just remember, if you look like a duck, and you walk like a duck, and you quack like a duck...YOU CAN STILL SOAR WITH THE EAGLES!