This is not an existential question, at least in the case of this, the introduction to my new blog.
A word about the title. In case you don't know, my maiden name was Watts. And around 1987 a brilliant and funny sometime manager / long time friend coined "Wattage" as my nickname. And I've always liked it. In another act of appropriation, I'm using the tagline "seeking to provide light not heat" derived from a metaphor coined by another brilliant some time manager / long time friend to describe meaningful insight and contribution. It's great ripping off smart people!
I decided to create this blog as a place to work through some ideas that have been bubbling up in recent months. I feel like through writing I can expand and clarify those thoughts for myself. And paradoxically, I am able to do this better hidden in plain sight.
Caveat Emptor!
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Letter to a Facebook Friend
Dear Friend,
It has taken me sometime to think about how to respond to your message. I also enjoyed working with you, back in the day, and have always wished you well.
I can understand and respect what you are looking for from your time on FB. My politics are a major part of who I am, so sharing my views will always be part of my engagement there, so take that as you will and you can decide whether you want to continue seeing my posts or not. I will not be insulted.
I do feel the need to respond to what I see (perhaps incorrectly) as some of the assumptions in the comments you have made in response to my post and “Pio’s” response.
I don’t think that there is an “either / or” in regards to valuing human life. I know many people, both directly and indirectly who have been deeply harmed by acts of both foreign and domestic terrorism. That, of course, includes public servants such as police and fireman. I don’t think that any time a policeman makes a judgement call that ends up in tragedy they are in the wrong. But it doesn’t mean that their lives are intrinsically more important than others’ and it doesn’t mean that their actions should excused from a proper and public examination because they wear a badge.
There are compelling statistics on the differences between police responses to the same behavior of whites and minorities. That doesn’t mean that all police are racist--but we live in a society that is still imbued with racism. I know that my instinctive reaction to a white man vs. a black man walking towards me is different. I also know that this feeling reflects racist attitudes that revolt me. So my frustration is not directed at a particular officer or event, it is at our current system, and how that is reflected in police training and culture, a refusal to prosecute even obvious and gross police misconduct, to always give “the benefit of the doubt,” to imply that any criticism shows a disregard for all police and is turned into the accusation that critics don’t care whether police live or die.
Regarding the post that led to our exchange. You rightly describe the people who commit acts of terrorism as monsters. Yet I believe that when we sanction torture and justify the reckless “collateral damage” to innocent people I think we are lowering ourselves to their level. I believe we should be better than that. I believe that we are all required to respect and follow our laws. If those laws are wrong, we have the means to change them. The CIA and NSA are not allowed to pick and choose, in secret, and without independent oversight, which laws to ignore. If we condone that, where are the boundaries?
Finally, I believe that the Constitution is more than “something to hide behind,” it is an essential protection for all of us and reflects what should be our continual aspiration to respect human rights for all--not just Americans. And, I admit, I found it ironic that you would so object to invoking the Constitution when the primary defense against any form of gun control is the Second Amendment. [And just so you don’t take this to begin a flame war--I respect responsible hunters and am not remotely suggesting banning all gun ownership.]
Thanks for giving me the chance to say my piece.
I do feel the need to respond to what I see (perhaps incorrectly) as some of the assumptions in the comments you have made in response to my post and “Pio’s” response.
I don’t think that there is an “either / or” in regards to valuing human life. I know many people, both directly and indirectly who have been deeply harmed by acts of both foreign and domestic terrorism. That, of course, includes public servants such as police and fireman. I don’t think that any time a policeman makes a judgement call that ends up in tragedy they are in the wrong. But it doesn’t mean that their lives are intrinsically more important than others’ and it doesn’t mean that their actions should excused from a proper and public examination because they wear a badge.
There are compelling statistics on the differences between police responses to the same behavior of whites and minorities. That doesn’t mean that all police are racist--but we live in a society that is still imbued with racism. I know that my instinctive reaction to a white man vs. a black man walking towards me is different. I also know that this feeling reflects racist attitudes that revolt me. So my frustration is not directed at a particular officer or event, it is at our current system, and how that is reflected in police training and culture, a refusal to prosecute even obvious and gross police misconduct, to always give “the benefit of the doubt,” to imply that any criticism shows a disregard for all police and is turned into the accusation that critics don’t care whether police live or die.
Regarding the post that led to our exchange. You rightly describe the people who commit acts of terrorism as monsters. Yet I believe that when we sanction torture and justify the reckless “collateral damage” to innocent people I think we are lowering ourselves to their level. I believe we should be better than that. I believe that we are all required to respect and follow our laws. If those laws are wrong, we have the means to change them. The CIA and NSA are not allowed to pick and choose, in secret, and without independent oversight, which laws to ignore. If we condone that, where are the boundaries?
Finally, I believe that the Constitution is more than “something to hide behind,” it is an essential protection for all of us and reflects what should be our continual aspiration to respect human rights for all--not just Americans. And, I admit, I found it ironic that you would so object to invoking the Constitution when the primary defense against any form of gun control is the Second Amendment. [And just so you don’t take this to begin a flame war--I respect responsible hunters and am not remotely suggesting banning all gun ownership.]
Thanks for giving me the chance to say my piece.
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