Open Letter to My Fellow White Males

To My White Friend,

You insist that the system is not rigged. That America is the best country and we should all be thankful to live in a such a land of opportunity. We have a black President and our next one is likely to be a woman. You get tired of hearing people complain about the system - you know it's unfair but life isn't mean to be fair. If you work hard and make smart decisions you can find success regardless of where you started. That's amazing and special and worth celebrating. 

You're not entirely wrong - our country is a great one and our world is much better than it once was in terms of equality and opportunity - but you're missing the bigger picture. One black President, or one woman, does not prove equality. For all that we have achieved as a nation, much of it was built on the backs of those who never had a fair chance. To celebrate our victories without acknowledging our failures does a disservice to everyone who ever fought their way up through a structure of discrimination to contribute to our success. We owe it to them, to ourselves, to be honest.

You're my friend because I like you, and I like because you're a good person. You’re a fundamentally decent human being who treats others with respect. You’re smart and hard-working and have earned a certain level of success in this world. But you’re also advantaged by the unfair system, even if it’s through no fault of your own. Me too. I’m as privileged as they come. I don’t think that undermines the quality of the person I am in any way, but it does make it more important that I speak out for all the people who are disadvantaged.

I look at it this way: I’ve been given a head start in the race. I’m white, my parents were middle class. I received a decent public education and knew the police were there to protect me (not arrest me). I had tons of positive role models around and I was always expected to succeed. I didn’t ask for a head start. I didn’t need a head start – I’m a pretty fast runner – but I still got a head start. If I don’t acknowledge that and simply talk about what a great race I ran and how great the competition was it makes me kind of a dick towards all those other runners who had to start way behind me. They probably would have lost anyway, ‘cause I worked my ass off and ran as hard as I could. But still, I started with an unfair advantage. Even if there wasn’t any racism or sexism today, minorities and women would still be at a disadvantage because of the past – as an econ guy you should know that the effects of capital accumulation last for multiple generations, and I don't hear anyone denying that the past was definitely unfair.

But’s it’s not really fair today either – it’s not enough that African Americans started behind because of centuries of slavery, followed by Jim Crow laws and segregation, followed by racism and discrimination that left them woefully behind. There is a TON of data that shows racism is still prevalent and powerful today.

So my race course was level and open. Everyone cleared a path for the well-educated white guy to run through. I’ve never experienced any racism or sexism. But people of color face all kinds of obstacles – their health care is worse, their education is worse, they’re more likely to be viewed as responsible for their actions at a younger age and thus more likely to get suspended from schools and placed in juvenile detention. That’s before they even become adults. Then they have to deal with things like the fact that employers will more likely give an interview to a resume with a white sounding name than a minority one – even if it’s the exact same resume. They face a tougher time getting home loans – especially if they dare to live the American dream and move out of their poor black neighborhood into the suburbs. African Americans use drugs at about the same rate as whites but they’re three times more likely to be arrested for it. When the cops do show up, studies using simulations have shown that they are more likely to view black people as threats, they are quicker to use force, including lethal force, based on the color of their skin. Even if they do overcome those obstacles and make it to lucrative careers, they still get paid less. So, yeah, lots of obstacles that I haven’t had to face. Once again, if I talk about the race I’m winning, what a great runner I am and how fast my friends are, but ignore these differences, I’m only contributing to the problem.

Most people are decent people. Most of us who had a head start didn’t ask for it. Most of us are not actually putting up the obstacles in other people’s path, at least not consciously. We’ve got our heads down and we’re busy trying to run hard and get ahead fair and square. We’re good people. But is that really enough? If we refuse to acknowledge the unfairness in the system, if we brush off any complaints and point out that things are better than they used to be and they’re slowly getting better all the time, excuse me I’ve got to get back to running now - if that’s all we do then we’re complicit in letting unfairness perpetuate. The disadvantaged people don’t have a voice, at least it isn’t listened to as much as ours is, so I try to speak up for them. I don’t want to win at any cost. I have a really good life and I’m pretty far ahead. I can afford to wait to for them to catch up. Maybe even use my time to try to get a few of the obstacles out of their way. At the very least I can tone down my bragging about what a great race this is.

What you seem to consider negativity is what I consider being a gracious winner. Our country has done amazing things – but it was founded and built on slavery. We have innovated and revolutionized the world – but our tech industry would be much stronger if we actively engaged 50% of the population and allowed them to contribute fully.

Our system was created by a bunch of rich, white men. For centuries it was dominated and controlled by a bunch of rich, white men. If you look at the positions of power in industry and government today, the system is still run by an overwhelming majority of rich, white men. You may not want to use the word rigged, but it’s not coincidence. It’s not some cabal of evil super-villains sitting around a table deciding who gets ahead and who doesn’t; it’s thousands of tiny decisions influenced by those in power who are fighting for their own self-interest, just like they’re supposed to. It’s not the intention but the result that matters. The system is structured so some have a head start and face fewer obstacles and that disparity perpetuates itself so those who started ahead stay ahead and pass on their advantages to their children.

You and I are not rich and powerful, but we are certainly white men. We’re on that side of the system. If we say the system is fair enough, that it will get better without our help, that people shouldn’t be so negative, then we’re complicit in maintaining the status quo. We’re walking away with our gold medal and thanking the committee for putting on such a nice event. That's not right.

We might not agree on how best to fix the system. But I don’t think anyone who points out the problems – the factually true and well-evidenced problems – is being negative. Fighting for improvement, fighting for others who don’t have the privilege to be effective fighting for themselves is not negative, it’s the greatest tradition of this country. It’s why a bunch of rich, white men fought a revolution to create a system that would give more white men a chance to join in their prosperity. Continuing their struggle, expanding it to include women and people of color is not un-American but the very best part of what America is and can be. That’s why I ask you to reconsider your characterization of such comments as negative. I ask you to reconsider a blanket defense of the system as it currently exists. You’re a good person, probably a faster runner than I am, and I’m sure your voice will reach farther than mine. Take some time and consider what you want to say with it when you’re standing at the finish line.

Do Something. Speak up. #StopTrump

For most of my life I haven’t been a very political person, mostly because it doesn’t affect me personally to a large degree. But last night I couldn’t sleep. The reality of Donald Trump as a candidate for President disturbs me greatly to the point where I feel compelled to speak. Truthfully, I don’t see this as a political issue. It’s not a Democrat vs. Republican thing – Trump is neither. It’s not about partisan politics or gridlock, it’s not about fiscal conservatism vs. liberal activism, it’s not about economic advancement vs. social justice. It is, quite simply, about right vs. wrong.

Trump is not running a political campaign. He has no clear policy positions, only vague notions that change repeatedly, largely dictated by what he thinks the audience wants to hear. He is running on a much simpler message, one designed to tap directly into the emotions of the listener without engaging any thought. He reaches the crowds with an acknowledgement: I understand. I understand you are frustrated; that the world has not been fair and that your life is not as safe and bountiful as you feel it should be. In that he is correct. We all feel that way. It’s totally natural and human to need validation, to want to the world to be as good as we remember it, to expect the world to be better for our children. There are many difficulties in life and it feels good to have someone in power acknowledge that. But that’s only the start.

Once faced with that reality, with the recognition of hardship and the longing for something better, Trump appeals to a primitive and fundament aspect of human nature facing danger – it’s us vs. them. He calls to rally ‘us’ by pointing out the danger that the other represents. Whether it’s the Muslims who threaten us Christians (ignoring the millions of decent Muslim Americans and over a billion peaceful Muslims across the globe). It’s the Mexicans who threaten us real Americans (ignoring the tens of millions of decent Hispanic Americans), the immigrants who want to take our jobs (ignoring the fact that we are all immigrants except for the native Americans who don’t enter into the discussion). The Chinese, the Iranians, the women who dare to question our white male leaders – they all pose a threat. In the end ‘us’ represents a relatively small group of people, but each and every person can identify some group they belong to and some other group they can villainize. It’s natural and instinctive, but it’s wrong.

It’s the separating of groups that leads to repressing the rights of others. It’s lead to slavery, to genocide, but also to simple stratification of society. It dehumanizes minorities of any stripe and suggests that we can raise ourselves up by pushing others down, but in so doing it lowers the bar for all humanity.

For what accompanies Trump’s appeal to division is a call to violence. How often has he expressed a desire to punch out, a wistful longing for the days when we could prove our right through might. That manliness is represented by talking tough and insulting anyone who disagrees. It’s an immature response, the kind you see from a teenage boy complete with bragging about penis size, calling women ugly, and mocking the disabled. Again, it has nothing to do with political parties but everything to do with base human behavior.

While its appeal can be strong, and I understand how easy it is to give in and wish for that simple solution to all our very real problems, we owe it to ourselves and our future to be better than that. A small amount of reflection and cursory review of history shows us that such a path leads to chaos and disaster. No good has come from spewing hatred and sowing dissent.

I believe people are capable of compassion. If we reject that notion that ‘they’ are the problem and understand that we are all in this together - that if we turn away from violence and accept that peaceful solutions will require hard work, compromise, and a less than ideal solution - then we can make progress as we have over the past century and a half. Even if we return to the bitter stalemate of Republicans vs. Democrats, it will be better than a descent into the anger and frustration that fuels Trump’s movement.

I urge everyone to take a moment to be political because politics will affect you this time around. Take a moment to think about what kind of human being you want to be and what type of world you wish to live in. Consider how far you want to divide up ‘us’ and how many people will be standing next to you vs. on the other side of that wall.

I’m angry. I’m frustrated. Life isn’t fair and I deserve better and I see a world filled with people who are not like me – people who make different choices, worship a different god and have a different belief system. People who are angry and frustrated because life hasn’t been fair. In that I recognize my own humanity in them. I want better for myself and that means I want better for them. I want life to be fair for a straight white male like me, so I want it to be fair for all of those with darker skin, a different gender identity or sexual preference, or even a different political preference. I will not hate them. I will not accept violence as a solution. ‘Us’ includes only myself or it includes everyone. I’ve made my choice and I hope for all our sakes that enough of us will choose love over hate while a choice can still be made.

I Vote for Them

Many say they do not vote out of objection -objection to the ineptitude of candidates on the ballot, objection to the position of both of the major parties in this country, objection to our current political system as a whole, Others do not vote out of a simpler apathy. In the past, I did not vote because I knew the outcome, either way, would not affect me personally. I am a well-educated, middle-class white male. There's very little in our political landscape that truly threatens the comfort and privilege that genetics and tradition have afforded me. I can always find a job, I have a large network of support to help me out, I face no real discrimination, and my health and safety are as good as it gets. elections don't affect me.

But I do vote. I vote for those who will be hurt by one outcome and helped by the other. I vote so the poor and disadvantaged might be granted greater support in this world, so their job prospects increase and everyone who works hard will receive a wage sufficient to put a roof over their heads and food on the table. I vote to help minorities realize a world where they are not disproportionately targeted by the criminal justice system. I vote so women have the right to choose what to do with their own bodies, where they are given easy access to effective birth control, and are not taxed for having a different biology. While I realize that terrorism poses less threat to me than household furniture, I vote because others are not so lucky. I wish for an outcome that will limit the violence in the world, that won't lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians in the quest to discover if sand glows. I choose a world where the families of those who commit wrongs won't be tortured and killed in revenge, where neighborhoods won't be policed and secured because of the religion of those living there. I do not vote to make the world a better place for myself - it's a very good place for me already - I vote to help those who need it, those who have less access to the voting booth, those who have no option at all.

If you feel your vote will not affect anyone else, that abstaining will somehow make things better, or that things can't get any worse, then I respect your right to do so. But I urge you to look beyond yourself. Look beyond the simple political rhetoric that exists. Study a little history, accpet a little responsibility. Voting does matter, if not for you then for everyone else. Vote for them. 

Incident Management

I spend a lot of time in the outdoors, and as a responsible person I have taken several wilderness first aid classes from which I've learned some important general lessons for life. The basic concept behind wilderness first aid is that you have found yourself in a situation where you have limited resources, someone is hurt, and help from the outside is not going to get to you anytime soon. Maybe it's just me, but that sounds a lot like political life in this day and age. Maybe the proper use of a tourniquet won't solve all our problems (or maybe it would?), but some of the concepts of problem solving I've learned can be directly applied.

One important idea that has served me well in many situations beyond life-or-death emergencies is the realization that a good solution started quickly is much better than the perfect solution applied too late. Perfect is a high bar. It takes a lot of time to come up with perfect, and it's also very hard to get agreement on what perfect is. If perfect is your goal and you hold out for it, you will probably never get there, and in the mean time lots of bad stuff is likely to get worse. If you settle for something that is pretty good and you spend your time putting it into practice and working to improve your plan as you go, you'll probably end up with good results.

There are normally multiple workable solutions. They'll all have their positives and negatives, but there isn't only one way to accomplish what you need. A solution that worked one time in one situation might not be applicable in another situation where the resourses or the environment are different. If you get too caught up in the details and too rigid in your thinking, you will miss out on the bigger picture and be unable to adapt to changes in the world around you. An open mind and a group working together, even if the plan is imperfect, will accomplish far more than endless bickering over inflexible ideas.

The flip side of that is: there are bad ideas. Not every approach is a good one. Some are very clearly wrong. Not everyone and every voice will contribute to finding a good solution and you have to be ready and willing to speak up, to point out specific flaws and limitations, when someone makes a bad suggestion. It's still important to listen. You can't dismiss things because you didn't think of them, or because of the person who did. Ideas need to get weighed on their own merits, experience is often the best evaluator, and common sense plays a vital role. Input and communication are good because the collective intelligence of the group is always greater than any one individual's contribution, but not every idea merits inclusion.

Along those lines, a stressful incident is best handled by a calm and capable incident commander. Decisions are reached quicker and plans are executed more smoothly if one voice is directing the group. If each person is doing their own thing, even if that thing is a good thing, but they aren't working off the same playbook, then chaos results. The incident commander doesn't have to come up with the plan - a good one will take input from everyone and synthesize it into a cohesive plan with simple instructions for each person to follow. They will also be ready to adapt the plan, not only as the situation changes but as new ideas are brought forward. What sounded good to everyone at the start (mandatory prison sentencing) might turn out to be a bad idea. The incident commander's job is to stay above the details, not to get caught up in the nitty-gritty but remain on watch for changes in the big picture and guiding the group accordingly. They can't afford to put their head down and trudge forward - though that is what most folks need to do to keep the group moving.

Sometimes you need to be the worker bee. It's good for everyone to have input into the plan. It's also good to recognize areas where others might be more knowledgeable, where their experience is more useful, and to accept that you will lose some arguments. Even if you know in your heart of heart that your plan would be better, there comes a time when you need to go with the group decision and stop fighting a solution that will work, even if not as well as your own would. Once again, a group accomplished much more working together on a mediocre plan than when each person holds out for their perfect solution.

I've learned these lessons in class, but I've seen them in action in real life. Concussions in remote river canyons, dislocated shoulders far from an ambulance, a broken kayak in the middle of the ocean. Consistently what happens is a moment of disbelief and panic. It takes everyone a moment or two to comprehend what is happening. Normally followed by half the group shouting out instructions and the other half frozen through indecision or lack of purpose. But when one voice speaks clearly, calm and certain, with simple directions and a willingness to listen, people start to fall in line. Those who know better choose to go with the flow as long as it's aimed in the right direction; those with no clue decide to trust someone else with the responsibility. Leadership is what carries the day, and leadership works best when it's reasonable and inclusive, patient yet purposeful, poised and practical. What we could all use is a little more leadership in the world, and a little more accepting of our own limitations and lack of experience. Life is one big incident - manage it well.

Choose Your Friends Wisely

Let's start with an assumption, supported by my personal experience, that many Republicans claim to belong to the party for their economic ideology and not for its social positions. In other words, they are good and decent people who believe in capitalism and free market enterprise, and they vote Republican out of economic self-interest and the belief that growing the pie will improve everyone's life (I'll deal with the cognitive dissonance embedded in there later). They are not racist, they are not ignorant, and they have a political opinion that is as valid and morally solid as any other. Like I said, let's assume that is true.

But let's look at the Republican Party. Not Conservatives. Not those who might vote Republican. Let's look at the card-carrying folks and the positions of the Party itself. First off, Republicans are pretty much white. Depending on the poll, 40-50% of Republicans believe President Obama is Muslim. That's racist. About 20% of Republicans believe inter-racial dating is wrong. Racist. Voter ID laws, gerrymandering, religious liberty protections - all based on bigotry and prejudice (bible-based discrimination is still discrimination). Voting Donald Trump your candidate for President - well, that puts all the hatred for anything 'other' right out in the open. The policies, principles, and rhetoric of the Republican Party is racist.

Once again, that doesn't mean that every member is racist. But very clearly a large percentage of Republicans are. A significant amount of their platform is based on ideas that discriminate or unequally disadvantage minorities. The very fact they claim this is not so, that they blame the first black President of being the cause of divisiveness, that they ignore the racial disparity that exists in our society and our criminal justice system in particular, all only proves their racism.

So I can accept that you are a non-racist Republican. That you don't feel cutting aid programs that disproportionately help minorities is wrong. That you don't buy into the false narrative that immigrants are more likely to be criminals and that black people would be better off in 'slower-track' schools. Maybe that's not you. But I question the priorities and moral judgment of anyone who chooses to be part of an organization that is so clearly bigoted and prejudiced. If you claim the name Republican, you claim it's racist underpinnings. That I cannot respect.