#86 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Monday July 12)
Good morning,
I wrote recently about the several anti-racist trainings I’ve received in the past several months. My point is that the training is so methodical and rote—so committed to a philosophy and political point of view—as to negate the intended effect and/or put the participants to sleep.
I’m someone who believes there is a moral reckoning to be had with racial injustice. But that doesn’t mean that we must accept critical race theory, or any other view of the world or means of analyzing history or politics, as the absolute be-all-and-end-all for discussions of race and society. Not everything is about race. One need not adopt the “you must be anti-racist; it’s not enough to be non-racist” position in order to care and move the ball forward. And it certainly doesn’t help to be lectured to. Instead, there should be an effort made to empathize with the plight of the underserved and the oppressed—to tell their story in meaningful, relatable ways. And then talk about it.
I would hope the “training” be more dynamic and meaningful, leading to productive conversations. Instead, it may become as relevant and effectual as “sexual harassment training” (who thought of that ridiculous title?) or traffic school. We should be focusing “training” not on political indoctrination, but on real world examples and lessons to be learned and discussed with each other. As Bret Stephens pointed out in a column a while back, one can study Marxism without becoming a Marxist. One should learn the myriad ways of looking at the world—from different perspectives and lenses—rather than a single dogmatic lens.
The great commentary on the whole idea of good training comes from Mark Ferrell, who is in the business of training people:
TRAINING WITH PURPOSE VERSUS TRAINING FOR POLITICS
“This is what Hollywood does so well. Art (in my example, motion pictures) changes lives because art changes perception. Film draws us in and forces us to empathize with fictional characters who undergo some dramatic experience — often a catalytic experience. We leave with new perspective.
Recently, I watched a great segment on CBS This Morning about how The Hunger Games’s three-finger salute is being used in Myanmar, Hong Kong, and Taiwan in defiance of tyrannical governments and to demand freedom.
I think back to Avatar and its "blue people," who were being killed by corporate military to take their land and resources. Sound familiar? Dances With Wolves gave us a new and different perspective of the "Indian Wars." Another that comes to mind is the 2019 film, The Best of Enemies, which is a true story of a KKK leader and a civil rights activist that became best friends because they found a way to empathize with each other:
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It's the power of entertainment. It can shape thought…Entertainment can be very powerful and persuasive because it involves an emotional component that is indelible and communal.
And from my viewpoint, it could be very effectively used in these training seminars. Empathy is king when it comes to making change. One view doesn't trump another when practicing empathy because empathy is the act of finding commonality. What connects us is stronger than what separates us. But that separation cannot be bridged until we see each other.
Cops must see Blacks (and others who are mistreated), but Blacks must see cops too. To me, it seems that both are operating from fear, which is not a great place to start.
I'm certainly no expert, but I can attest to the changes people make when they see themselves in similar circumstances. At our core, people want to help.”
Thanks Mark.
Have a good day,
Glenn
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