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In: Gender Bias, Harassment, Unity
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Okay, I admit it, I’ve been stubbornly opposed to changing. I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina and was raised to say, “ma’am” and “sir.” Living in other parts of the country, I’ve been told not use those terms because, “It makes me feel old” or “I work for a living.” I would laugh, and explain that was just the way I was raised and meant it as a form of respect. Of course, I would refrain from using them again in that interaction. I justified retaining those terms with the idea that we need more civility and respect in our day toRead More →

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In: Bias
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While reading some comments on social media, it occurred to me that, while one’s sexual preference and ethnicity may be genetic, being bigoted is a lifestyle choice. I believe that bigotry is caused by our natural tendencies to be afraid of things that are different. It’s the same tendency that allowed our ancient ancestors to survive a time when that person who looked different from the tribe could kill them all. Thankfully, despite what the Republican Party would have you believe, life here in the US isn’t nearly as dangerous. One of the best advantages of our country is our diversity and the freedom weRead More →

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In: Bias, Political Parties, Religious Bias, Terrorism
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The Republican Party is partially correct on the issue of terrorism. It is one of biggest threats we face as a country today. However, they are completely wrong when they single out just one source. To see what I mean, let’s start with a definition. Dictionary.com defines “terrorism” as “the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.” Okay, so far this does nothing to repudiate the GOP’s position. Let’s see what happens when we put this in practice with some examples. Extremists twist the words of a religion into an excuse to commit acts of violence against political foes.Read More →

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In: Bias, Freedom, Harassment, Uncategorized
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For everyone who is saying they support the police after the shootings of Anton Sterling and Philando Castile. I’m glad that you do, and you should. Police officers risk their lives so the rest of us can be safe. However, I would argue that those of us who demanding that the officers who use unreasonable force be held accountable, are doing more to support the good officers than those of you who are unwilling accept the fact that there are way too many officers who will overreact because of the color of a person’s skin. Remember, the job of the police is to keep everyoneRead More →

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In: Bias, Gender Bias, Harassment, Uncategorized, Women
With: 2 Comments

I owe all of the women in my life an apology. While I have long been a supporter of equality and respect for all human beings, it took the video #MoreThanMean, posted by justnotsports.com, to make me realize that through my inaction and silence, I have inadvertently supported the culture of sexism and abuse. In the video, sports journalists Sarah Spain and Julie Dicaro sit across from different men who read some of the online abuse and threats masquerading as comments. It is painful to watch, but something we all should see. It made me think of the vile online comments I have read directedRead More →