Addressing these crises will not be easy, but it will be made even more difficult by the Trump supporters who think that their votes were stolen. These include both elected Republicans in Congress as well as their constituents.
If the past few weeks are any indication, these loyalists are unlikely to cede peacefully. They will continue to jab at, poke away, and assault Biden’s and the Democratic Party’s proposals, initiatives, cabinet picks, etc..
But we knew that already. This should come as no surprise.
Although many people have attempted to dissect Trumps constituency and seeking to explain who they are, rather than repeat this information, instead I would like to offer some modest proposals on how we can potentially move forward as a country.
From those who voted for Biden and Harris, there seems to be (in general) two polar opposite proposals on how to deal with the disgruntled. One: that we need to make peace with the Trump supporters and find common ground, maybe recognize that there is some truth in their claim, and double down on reading books like The Hillbilly Elegy, to understand their concerns. The premise behind this approach is that this is the only way to “heal” our country
Others like Rick Wilson, of the Lincoln Project say “Fuck the Trump supporters.” The Trumpists are largely uncompromising, refusing to listen to reason, science, or experts. They don’t seem to want to find any common ground, and, some even have the capacity to be physically dangerous. Thus, we must learn how to navigate around them.
Maybe there is some sort of midrange approach between making peace and forgetting about the Trump supporters. The former method is already proving to be very difficult, while the latter may be impossible, as these individuals seem unlikely to fade away. Part of the response will have to do with how much oxygen Trump and his loyalists receive after January 20. If he and his closest allies are indicted, convicted or incarcerated on any of the federal or state charges that have been discussed, this may blunt or alter the way we deal with them collectively. This course of events may also enflame the support base. Part of the response also depends on how his enablers (e.g., Donald Trump, Jr., Ted Cruz, Mark Rubio, Lindsay Graham, Mike Pompeo, or any of the other less publicly visible sycophants) take up Trump’s torch, spinning conspiracy theories of their own.
With all this in mind, one last question remains: How do we prevent something like this from happening again?
My goal is not to convince those who don’t want their opinions to be changed. But I offer the following proposals in response to this question, the effect of which will hopefully be felt in the long term, if we are going to move forward and prevent something akin to a civil war:
To begin with, we should advocate for mandatory classes in critical thinking to be taught as early as elementary school. Some variety of this already takes place, but we need to redouble our efforts to create signature classes in this subject, including national standards and testing that is effective.
Another educational suggestion is to teach civics classes throughout the K-12 curriculum. Students making their way through the public school system should learn about the Constitution, not just by memorizing parts of it, but actually understanding its proper role in American society, what it is and is not, and how the Constitution continues to develop and evolve. Students should also be taught something beyond basic US geography and history, materials that would exceed the sanitized, standard public school version of our history currently being presented.
In order to accomplish both of these bold initiatives, all K-12 public education should be funded out of federal tax dollars, and not be based on property tax or taxes collected at the municipal or county level. We also need to establish a system to ensure that civics and critical thinking are properly taught. (Secondary schools are supposed to teach these skills, but so much of that educational framework is dogmatic in nature.)
Finally it’s time for the implementation of proportional representation (to which I add ranked order choice voting). A winner take all political system leads to too many people being angry at the outcome. It also incentivizes voter suppression in “key” battleground states.
We can talk later about how this approach can be best rolled out, but without these types of policies and practices we run the risk of remaining a country that seriously divided, one where a significant portion of its citizens are too willing to believe the musings of snake oil salesmen and hucksters.
Sure, we should address the bomb throwers and the dangers of the right-wing media, but there are other courses that could be pursued. Although the solutions I offer are not exclusive, they are places to start. They are options aimed to minimize and prevent polarization like we are experiencing now from happening again.
photo credit Mobilus In Mobili, “RVA Pro Gun Rally 2020-11”
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/49419554052_febc0dffda_k.jpg16382048Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2020-12-11 19:28:512023-09-17 03:50:50Grappling with Trump supporters who think that their vote was stolen?
Not the caricatured anarchists of a by-gone era, nor individuals who assume the role of the little boy who points out that the emperor has no clothes. Not even seasoned journalists asking tough questions, nor constituencies that demonstrate genuine backlash.
Instead, I’m talking about people both you and I have seen, heard, and maybe know; those individuals who exist in every organization and community: in our classrooms, boardrooms, and in our local, state and national politics.
The bomb throwers (call them contrarians or shit disturbers if you prefer), the ones who wait, primed for those in authority to say or do something even slightly controversial, and then pounce on them, pointing out flaws, real or imagined, when given the slightest opportunity.
Yesterday they argued for one position. Today they argue against themselves. It doesn’t matter. They are self-appointed, and their job is to confront, provoke, and maybe even humiliate leaders and managers.
Some of us may consider them to be brave members of our society that is typically passive or apathetic. We may be lulled into thinking that they are speaking truth to power, leading a resistance or counter movement with a better plan, but they seldom are.
I’m not saying that no one can criticize, nor am I dumping on people who have legitimate grievances and advance thoughtful counterarguments. Instead I have difficulties with people who only try to cause controversy and do so hypocritically.
But here is the thing about bomb throwers. When it comes time for them to manage or to lead, well they do a pretty shitty job.
Take for example our outgoing President. Every chance he gets, even before he assumed the office of POTUS, Donald J. Trump took the opportunity to bad mouth public figures who were not suitably fawning. This behavior in not simply reserved for his political opponents, but this treatment is also doled out to those he hand-picked to be part of his administration, who have ended up failing to support his policies. He performs for a cult-like army of followers, the core of whom believe he “tells is like it is.” They continue to support him, even as the masque falls away and the emperor is revealed to have no clothes.
Trump is not alone. There are numerous public figures, like many of the pundits (e.g., Lou Dobbs) who host shows on Fox News, or talk radio hosts (e.g., Rush Limbaugh) who appear to spend a disproportionate amount of their public career constantly complaining about the policies and plans of others, questioning their credibility, and offering nothing concrete at all to address the problem.
But instead of completely dismissing the bomb throwers and shit disturbers, to a certain extent we actually need these types of people.
Adversity and opposition keeps leaders on their toes. It prevents them from becoming complacent.
But, if you are in a leadership or management position, my advice to you is not to ignore the bomb throwers, but to dance with them. Acknowledge them, ask them to explain the data and rationale upon which they base their claims, and if warranted, publicly dismiss the absurdity or falseness of them. Point to the work you (and your organization) are doing to address the challenges. If the question is deserving of further study, suggest that they assemble a committee to examine the problem they raise, write a white or position paper for discussion, and offer to assist them in this endeavor. The sad truth is that it won’t happen. They are likely to respond with, “just saying.”
This kind of approach is not easy, but it is the mark of a good leader and manager to do so.
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2020-12-03-at-7.26.33-PM.png371303Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2020-12-04 00:42:262024-09-22 12:23:45Dancing with the bomb throwers amongst us
Today is Native American Heritage day. Most Americans will go about their business unfettered by this knowledge.
What’s worse? Most Americans, including the news media, did not know or ignored the fact that this past month was National American Indian Heritage Month. There was little educational programing, popular media coverage, and political speeches.
There are lots of plausible reasons why this occurred.
Perhaps you’re not a big fan of dedicating an entire month to celebrating a distinct class of people.
Maybe American Indian Heritage Month was overshadowed by the contentious federal election, which pitted a controversial Republican, Donald Trump, against a moderate Democrat, Joe Biden.
Or then again, the explanation I think is the most reasonable, is that the general public really doesn’t care about American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AIAN).
Sure, we are willing to buy into cute stereotypes and flawed historical explanations, but when it comes time to confront the day to day realities for most AIAN we get bored, our eyes glaze over, and we change the subject.
Shifting gears, almost every year around this time, I tend to write an op-ed about the abysmal plight of American Indians and Alaskan Natives and the dominant White societies’ relationship with them. This is an outgrowth not only of personal experience but of a considerable amount of scholarship I used to do on this subject, including two books, research consulting, and some teaching at the undergraduate level.
I enjoyed engaging with this topic, but over the years, increasingly, I’ve felt that no one really cares about the issues that I brought to public and policy attention. Part of this reaction I believe is my geographical location. I live in Washington, DC, and work in Baltimore, Maryland. It’s not like American Indians and Native Alaskan issues aren’t part of the federal agenda, but they pale in comparison to foreign relations, the economy, etc. And yes, there is an American Indian population in Baltimore and Maryland in general, but they are not so numerous as they are in other states like Alaska, California, Oklahoma, New Mexico, or South Dakota.
Most of the time, I felt like I was beating my head against a wall. It’s exhausting and demoralizing. Sure, I could ignore this simple fact and, like Don Quixote push on, and continue to do my work, but the truth is the truth.
The simple fact is that the health and well-being of Native Americans and Alaskan Natives is not merely a local challenge; it’s a national issue with many complexities. By ignoring this and them, we are telling the original inhabitants of our country that they are not important, and we don’t care.
Let’s work to changing this state of affairs. Expanding and sharing our knowledge of AIAN should be a goal in and of itself. Hollywood and other channels of popular culture have frequently and inaccurately portrayed AIAN and thus prevented our understanding of these unique cultures.
Even if it means celebrating a month or even a day like Native American Heritage Day, today is dedicated to AIAN diverse culture, both past and present, and challenges that they currently experience. Let’s work toward solutions that will assist them.
Photo by Bob Dass, “Lights for Liberty Rally, Santa Rosa, California” “Native American prayer at this rally to end immigrant concentration camps”)
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/48276979451_0ddd4b8e29_o-scaled.jpg21942560Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2020-11-27 14:31:392021-03-14 14:09:52Ignoring American Indian Heritage Month is disrespectful
Grappling with Trump supporters who think that their vote was stolen?
/by Jeffrey Ian RossBiden, Harris, and the Democrats know that once they formally assume office, they’re going to have a tough job.
With the COVID-19 pandemic raging, a suffering economy, 14 million unemployed, and trust in police at an all-time low, they have their work cut out for them.
Addressing these crises will not be easy, but it will be made even more difficult by the Trump supporters who think that their votes were stolen. These include both elected Republicans in Congress as well as their constituents.
If the past few weeks are any indication, these loyalists are unlikely to cede peacefully. They will continue to jab at, poke away, and assault Biden’s and the Democratic Party’s proposals, initiatives, cabinet picks, etc..
But we knew that already. This should come as no surprise.
Although many people have attempted to dissect Trumps constituency and seeking to explain who they are, rather than repeat this information, instead I would like to offer some modest proposals on how we can potentially move forward as a country.
From those who voted for Biden and Harris, there seems to be (in general) two polar opposite proposals on how to deal with the disgruntled. One: that we need to make peace with the Trump supporters and find common ground, maybe recognize that there is some truth in their claim, and double down on reading books like The Hillbilly Elegy, to understand their concerns. The premise behind this approach is that this is the only way to “heal” our country
Others like Rick Wilson, of the Lincoln Project say “Fuck the Trump supporters.” The Trumpists are largely uncompromising, refusing to listen to reason, science, or experts. They don’t seem to want to find any common ground, and, some even have the capacity to be physically dangerous. Thus, we must learn how to navigate around them.
Maybe there is some sort of midrange approach between making peace and forgetting about the Trump supporters. The former method is already proving to be very difficult, while the latter may be impossible, as these individuals seem unlikely to fade away. Part of the response will have to do with how much oxygen Trump and his loyalists receive after January 20. If he and his closest allies are indicted, convicted or incarcerated on any of the federal or state charges that have been discussed, this may blunt or alter the way we deal with them collectively. This course of events may also enflame the support base. Part of the response also depends on how his enablers (e.g., Donald Trump, Jr., Ted Cruz, Mark Rubio, Lindsay Graham, Mike Pompeo, or any of the other less publicly visible sycophants) take up Trump’s torch, spinning conspiracy theories of their own.
With all this in mind, one last question remains: How do we prevent something like this from happening again?
My goal is not to convince those who don’t want their opinions to be changed. But I offer the following proposals in response to this question, the effect of which will hopefully be felt in the long term, if we are going to move forward and prevent something akin to a civil war:
To begin with, we should advocate for mandatory classes in critical thinking to be taught as early as elementary school. Some variety of this already takes place, but we need to redouble our efforts to create signature classes in this subject, including national standards and testing that is effective.
Another educational suggestion is to teach civics classes throughout the K-12 curriculum. Students making their way through the public school system should learn about the Constitution, not just by memorizing parts of it, but actually understanding its proper role in American society, what it is and is not, and how the Constitution continues to develop and evolve. Students should also be taught something beyond basic US geography and history, materials that would exceed the sanitized, standard public school version of our history currently being presented.
In order to accomplish both of these bold initiatives, all K-12 public education should be funded out of federal tax dollars, and not be based on property tax or taxes collected at the municipal or county level. We also need to establish a system to ensure that civics and critical thinking are properly taught. (Secondary schools are supposed to teach these skills, but so much of that educational framework is dogmatic in nature.)
Finally it’s time for the implementation of proportional representation (to which I add ranked order choice voting). A winner take all political system leads to too many people being angry at the outcome. It also incentivizes voter suppression in “key” battleground states.
We can talk later about how this approach can be best rolled out, but without these types of policies and practices we run the risk of remaining a country that seriously divided, one where a significant portion of its citizens are too willing to believe the musings of snake oil salesmen and hucksters.
Sure, we should address the bomb throwers and the dangers of the right-wing media, but there are other courses that could be pursued. Although the solutions I offer are not exclusive, they are places to start. They are options aimed to minimize and prevent polarization like we are experiencing now from happening again.
photo credit Mobilus In Mobili, “RVA Pro Gun Rally 2020-11”
Dancing with the bomb throwers amongst us
/by Jeffrey Ian RossNot the caricatured anarchists of a by-gone era, nor individuals who assume the role of the little boy who points out that the emperor has no clothes. Not even seasoned journalists asking tough questions, nor constituencies that demonstrate genuine backlash.
Instead, I’m talking about people both you and I have seen, heard, and maybe know; those individuals who exist in every organization and community: in our classrooms, boardrooms, and in our local, state and national politics.
The bomb throwers (call them contrarians or shit disturbers if you prefer), the ones who wait, primed for those in authority to say or do something even slightly controversial, and then pounce on them, pointing out flaws, real or imagined, when given the slightest opportunity.
These are also the trolls on the internet, spinning conspiracy theories, who constantly attack people.
“It won’t work,” “It never worked,” “The idea is silly,” or “You dropped the ball,” are the frequent lamentations of these fault finders. They often perform for an echo chamber of cheers.
Yesterday they argued for one position. Today they argue against themselves. It doesn’t matter. They are self-appointed, and their job is to confront, provoke, and maybe even humiliate leaders and managers.
Some of us may consider them to be brave members of our society that is typically passive or apathetic. We may be lulled into thinking that they are speaking truth to power, leading a resistance or counter movement with a better plan, but they seldom are.
I’m not saying that no one can criticize, nor am I dumping on people who have legitimate grievances and advance thoughtful counterarguments. Instead I have difficulties with people who only try to cause controversy and do so hypocritically.
But here is the thing about bomb throwers. When it comes time for them to manage or to lead, well they do a pretty shitty job.
Take for example our outgoing President. Every chance he gets, even before he assumed the office of POTUS, Donald J. Trump took the opportunity to bad mouth public figures who were not suitably fawning. This behavior in not simply reserved for his political opponents, but this treatment is also doled out to those he hand-picked to be part of his administration, who have ended up failing to support his policies. He performs for a cult-like army of followers, the core of whom believe he “tells is like it is.” They continue to support him, even as the masque falls away and the emperor is revealed to have no clothes.
Trump is not alone. There are numerous public figures, like many of the pundits (e.g., Lou Dobbs) who host shows on Fox News, or talk radio hosts (e.g., Rush Limbaugh) who appear to spend a disproportionate amount of their public career constantly complaining about the policies and plans of others, questioning their credibility, and offering nothing concrete at all to address the problem.
But instead of completely dismissing the bomb throwers and shit disturbers, to a certain extent we actually need these types of people.
Adversity and opposition keeps leaders on their toes. It prevents them from becoming complacent.
But, if you are in a leadership or management position, my advice to you is not to ignore the bomb throwers, but to dance with them. Acknowledge them, ask them to explain the data and rationale upon which they base their claims, and if warranted, publicly dismiss the absurdity or falseness of them. Point to the work you (and your organization) are doing to address the challenges. If the question is deserving of further study, suggest that they assemble a committee to examine the problem they raise, write a white or position paper for discussion, and offer to assist them in this endeavor. The sad truth is that it won’t happen. They are likely to respond with, “just saying.”
This kind of approach is not easy, but it is the mark of a good leader and manager to do so.
Ignoring American Indian Heritage Month is disrespectful
/by Jeffrey Ian RossToday is Native American Heritage day. Most Americans will go about their business unfettered by this knowledge.
What’s worse? Most Americans, including the news media, did not know or ignored the fact that this past month was National American Indian Heritage Month. There was little educational programing, popular media coverage, and political speeches.
There are lots of plausible reasons why this occurred.
Perhaps you’re not a big fan of dedicating an entire month to celebrating a distinct class of people.
Maybe American Indian Heritage Month was overshadowed by the contentious federal election, which pitted a controversial Republican, Donald Trump, against a moderate Democrat, Joe Biden.
Or then again, the explanation I think is the most reasonable, is that the general public really doesn’t care about American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AIAN).
Sure, we are willing to buy into cute stereotypes and flawed historical explanations, but when it comes time to confront the day to day realities for most AIAN we get bored, our eyes glaze over, and we change the subject.
The fact remains that on almost all measures of personal well-being, including poverty, health outcomes, crime, and educational achievement, AIAN are either at the bottom or close to the bottom. Such inequality and outcomes did not happen by chance or lack of personal drive.
Even though many Hispanics (18 percent of the genome) and African-Americans (1 percent of the genome) are of the American-Indian Heritage, most Americans are pretty ignorant about American Indians and Alaskan Natives. And the sad thing is that they don’t really care.
Shifting gears, almost every year around this time, I tend to write an op-ed about the abysmal plight of American Indians and Alaskan Natives and the dominant White societies’ relationship with them. This is an outgrowth not only of personal experience but of a considerable amount of scholarship I used to do on this subject, including two books, research consulting, and some teaching at the undergraduate level.
I enjoyed engaging with this topic, but over the years, increasingly, I’ve felt that no one really cares about the issues that I brought to public and policy attention. Part of this reaction I believe is my geographical location. I live in Washington, DC, and work in Baltimore, Maryland. It’s not like American Indians and Native Alaskan issues aren’t part of the federal agenda, but they pale in comparison to foreign relations, the economy, etc. And yes, there is an American Indian population in Baltimore and Maryland in general, but they are not so numerous as they are in other states like Alaska, California, Oklahoma, New Mexico, or South Dakota.
Most of the time, I felt like I was beating my head against a wall. It’s exhausting and demoralizing. Sure, I could ignore this simple fact and, like Don Quixote push on, and continue to do my work, but the truth is the truth.
The simple fact is that the health and well-being of Native Americans and Alaskan Natives is not merely a local challenge; it’s a national issue with many complexities. By ignoring this and them, we are telling the original inhabitants of our country that they are not important, and we don’t care.
Let’s work to changing this state of affairs. Expanding and sharing our knowledge of AIAN should be a goal in and of itself. Hollywood and other channels of popular culture have frequently and inaccurately portrayed AIAN and thus prevented our understanding of these unique cultures.
Even if it means celebrating a month or even a day like Native American Heritage Day, today is dedicated to AIAN diverse culture, both past and present, and challenges that they currently experience. Let’s work toward solutions that will assist them.
Photo by Bob Dass, “Lights for Liberty Rally, Santa Rosa, California” “Native American prayer at this rally to end immigrant concentration camps”)