We had a conference call about the Capitol Riot at work this morning.

[smirkymonkey]

It wasn't company-wide, it was just my team and only about half the team joined. The invite was sent from an AA woman on the team, who is also the head of our culture team, as a follow up to a poignant email she sent out yesterday as to how she was feeling about the situation.

Specifically, how she felt about how striking white privilege was playing out in the handling of the MAGA agitators and terrorists vs. how the peaceful BLM protestors had been treated in the past.

I wrote her back, completely agreeing with all her points in her message and joined the call this morning reinforcing my belief that, even as a white person, this difference in treatment by law enforcement was glaringly obvious to me. Most people who were on the call seemed to genuinely want to understand, but there were still a few people who clearly didn't get what the problem was.

I'm not really sure what my point is here, but I am just glad that we have a team at work where we can talk about this and not sweep it under the rug, as we are a multi-cultural unit and our company at large tries to encourage and foster racial tolerance and understanding. Just wondering if anyone else has a similar experience in their work or community.

[cayugafalls]

1. Yes, my work sent an email and offered support for any who were feeling an impact.

they supported all of our diversity and wanted us to know that they did not approve of what was happening.

[smirkymonkey]

2. That's good. I think that is important to hear from the top brass.

I am kind of waiting to hear from corporate HQ about the situation. I am surprised we haven't received a message yet.

[cayugafalls]

3. It was kind of a shock that it came as a corporate statement.

I'm really liking my company right now. I enjoy my job and this makes me feel as if their corporate policy aligns a little better with the people who work for them.

It is quite a large company with offices around the world.

[smirkymonkey]

4. Ours too. Which is why it surprises me that there has been no official statement.

Particularly since we are so big on diversity and fairness for all. If we don't see anything by COB today, I will consider it a major failure on management's part.

[Orrex]

5. What industry is your job?

My company has made no comment.

[smirkymonkey]

7. Large consumer product manufacturer.

We are very socially progressive, and sometimes controversial, both in media and internally.

[Orrex]

12. Thanks. We large consumers need products too. (nt)

[smirkymonkey]

13. Yes. For too long, most companies have only catered to small consumers.

So we spotted the hole in the market and took advantage of it.

[jcgoldie]

6. Teach high school we were sent an email...

... instructed specifically not to "share our opinions on the incidents at the capitol with students". I teach math and had no intention of doing so of course I still found it a little strange.

[smirkymonkey]

8. Interesting. I would think this would be a great teaching/learning opportunity.

Where do you live or what kind of community do you live in? Could that have something to do with it?

[grumpyduck]

9. I have.

From my own experience, it seems that a lot of these people either don't listen (or read) enough, or don't think beyond the surface. Sometimes I feel I can't get through because they're already thinking about what they're going to say before I even finish what I'm saying.

I recently had an email conversation with an old friend who's a Republican. We rarely discuss politics, and, even so, only superficially, but I've seen him go off on tangents when a word or phrase kicks in, and there's no getting him back to the original issue.

I'm sure there's a name somewhere for that kind of behavior.

[smirkymonkey]

10. Funny. I also just had a conversation with a childhood friend whom I love dearly, but I was sure was

a republican as she worked in a govt/miliatry high level job (just retired), and grew up in a very conservative family, however even she was saying that what was going on in DC was just effed up and needed to stop. It was too much even for her.

I think she is one of those moderate, middle-of-the-road kinds of republicans who is not the kind to go in for cults of personality, although we have never really gone very deeply into politics. I told her I lean toward the left but that is as far as we got. I think there are more people like her than we know. This incident may be the last straw for some of them.

[intheflow]

11. "White fragility?"

That's the first thing that popped into my mind.

[smirkymonkey]

14. Yes, that was pretty much the theme, but there are certain people who still

have an issue with that concept.