They Won’t Fail Us, If We Don’t Fail Them

We risk losing a ton of talented young people

I’m still reeling from the college drop-off.

But I’m also struggling with another issue raised during the convocation of students.

The Chancellor ticked off, with rightful pride, the makeup of the incoming students:

From more than 60 countries.

From 49 states.

From walks of every economic class.

Every race, every ethnicity.

And I got to thinking what a remarkable opportunity this is not only for my son, but also for the professors, the administration, the cafeteria staff, and the RAs.

Looking down from the stands, I was struck by the importance of preserving this diversity.

But that’s obviously not happening under the Trump administration.

We All Know Someone

A friend has a teenager. The teenager came out a few years back as non-binary in a state that had outlawed any medical discussions about what that could mean for that child.

The child was immediately, upon assumption of power of this administration, categorized as a non-entity.

All of that is sad enough for the child and the family.

But, I'd suggest, we also need to focus on what this country has lost.

This child is exceptional in every way. They have an IQ that is off the charts. They have an excellent point average.

And I’m sure when they start taking standardized tests, those things will be off the charts, too.

Until November 2024, this child had grand plans.

They wanted to become a commercial pilot.

To get there, they wanted to ease the financial burden on their family, make money, and also experience flying many different types of aircraft.

They had their sights set on the Air Force Academy.

They had already done their research and found that the Air Force Academy offered not only LGBT+ support networks but specific support for non-binary cadets.

This child no longer has that choice.

This country no longer has that talent.

And that’s not even to mention all of the airmen, airwomen, and non-binary airpeople who have been forced out of military service due to this administration after serving their country honorably.

That one story — the story of a child and all that we will lose — reveals a larger, emerging truth in America.

Freedom Denied

Freedom is essentially the ability to make choices that don’t harm others.

And when we limit somebody’s ability to make choices, especially those that could benefit more than themselves, we all lose. That’s the situation we’re in right now.

Everyone in their life knows someone a little bit different.

That person may have a different skin color, a different background, a different economic class, a different sexual orientation, a different gender identity from which they were born.

Every family. Every neighborhood. Every school.

It is not going away.

And the harder this administration tries to force America into some imagined homogenous mold, something we never were and never will be, the more strife and division it creates.

That makes me sad.

Yet, sadder still, we are limiting not only choices that won't harm others, but choices that would very likely help us all.

Do Not Accept This

I keep looking at the Convocation picture. I see the hope. I know the talent.

The Chancellor and all the speakers challenged the students to grow beyond their comfort zone, to push themselves, and to give back.

But what if the student, once they leave campus, can't even be a true expression of themselves? If they have to hide, blend, and pass?

I've seen firsthand how draining that is as a supervisor.

The thing about talent these days? They can choose.

How many of the international students, the LGBT+ students, the Black and Brown students might decide that it is just too much to put up with the day-to-day harassment, and that it would be better somewhere else?

What if the students who come from Red States decide they can't deal with the bigotry they face when they go home? They will find jobs and raise families somewhere else.

And guess what happens in that case? That somewhere else gets better because that talent is no longer here.

So, what do we do about all this? It’s a little pushback by pushback.

Most people do not want to get into conversations about uncomfortable things. That’s understandable.

Still, our future - neighborhoods, school districts, communities, states, and nation - depends on us calling out bigotry and small-mindedness.

Silence is a choice. And it's the wrong one.

Each of us has to take steps and speak up when we hear something offensive, whether it's the N-word used by white kids in an Algebra 2 honors class, or the F slur to that non-binary child walking a street.

Or whether it’s somebody at my son‘s college, who feels superior because they are paying the full tuition instead of the so-called "freeloader" who is getting financial aid as a first-generation student, we need to speak up.

This future, our future, depends on that talent staying and making things better.

We need this talent to devise solutions that address the complexities and challenges posed by rapid technological development, energy and climate crises, and international strife.

The talent is there. It was sitting in front of me at Convocation. It was supported by parents and caregivers, all beaming with pride and hope for the future.

They won't fail us if we don't fail them.

That's the deal we face.

If we keep our promises and protect their freedom to choose, they will stay and help build a brighter future.

If we don't fight for them, they'll leave. And they'll be right to.

Coming up on B Positive

I'll return after Labor Day to policy discussions with a focus on crime, why the stats don't sway voters, and how we can work together on solutions instead of political posing.

To follow up on the crime discussion, I'm going to hit the issue of guns - especially needed after this week's horrific shooting.

Reading Recommendations

I read a lot to learn a lot.

I've heard from people that they prefer not to read articles that run more than 5-6 minutes.

I understand that life is busy, but at the same time, we need to delve a little deeper into things if we are going to find practical solutions.

On the topic of freedom, I've mentioned several books in the past.

Here are two things that are worth revisiting over the Labor Day weekend:

• On Freedom, Snyder captures much of what I’ll discuss in the coming months: true freedom as “freedom to thrive…to take risks for futures we choose together.” This perspective is needed for our current moment.

• I also think you should check out the New Yorker's overview of philosopher Elizabeth Anderson. Why? “Because she brings together ideas from both the left and the right to battle increasing inequality, Anderson may be the philosopher best suited to this awkward moment in American life. She builds a democratic frame for a society in which people come from different places and are predisposed to disagree.”

Speaking of Labor Day, I always find it awkward that our trash and recycling are collected on the holiday.

It makes me think of Martin Luther King Jr, and his assassination, as he was supporting the Memphis Sanitation Strike. You can read more about that here.

Today’s Action(s)

Say it once. Post it once. Let someone know you won't accept limits on their freedom.

We all know somebody right now whose life is getting smaller because of what’s happening by a very small man in Washington, DC, and his enablers.

I believe that there are more of us who care about personal freedoms and our collective future.

We've been too quiet, and we need to be loud, and we need to be loud now.