I have been wrong about the diversity vs merit debate. I support policies to increase diversity, but I used to think merit should be the final determining factor in admissions or hiring. I am not arguing for hiring unqualified candidates, nor does the word diversity referred here means only skin color. Diversity to prevent homogeneity…
Retraining Police
We expect police to do too much and without enough training. In Georgia, to be an officer requires a high school diploma and 11 weeks of training. In Germany, police training is 2.5 to 4 years. We can screen better in applications. We can train and teach better, including ethics, psychology and sociology. In Germany,…
Why the patriarchy is killing men – The Washington Post
Gender equality isn’t just good for women. It also saves men’s lives. — Read on beta.washingtonpost.com/outlook/why-the-patriarchy-is-killing-men/2019/09/12/2490fa7e-d3ea-11e9-86ac-0f250cc91758_story.html
Opinion | I’m a Black Feminist. I Think Call-Out Culture Is Toxic. – The New York Times
There are better ways of doing social justice work. — Read on http://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/17/opinion/sunday/cancel-culture-call-out.html
Pondering Parenthood
I have wanted to be a parent since I was in my late teens, as strange as it might sound. I guess the parent mind-set entered into my brain when I became a big brother a few months before turning four. I had to help my mother in taking care of my baby brother; I…
Gender stereotypes and toxic masculinity
Recently, I read on the internet about a famous director's statement that women have never been complicit in any atrocity in history. Many women took offense at it because that is factually not true, and putting women on a pedestal propagates gender stereotypes and is ultimately detrimental in fighting sexism, including benevolent sexism like this…
Female Modesty and Good Character
Let's be honest. When it comes to dressing modestly, the rules are usually applied to women. And dressing 'modestly' means covering up as much as possible. But who decided that covering up is modest? What is the logic behind it? We are all born naked. Every other living species on this planet is naked. Different…
A little empathy for our fellow human beings
Over the last 6 days I have seen two sides of human nature. I have seen people across the globe support a group they weren't required to support. But many did. Maybe it was because they wanted to show support for their shared humanity. Maybe they found it weird that a 'Power' that is supposed…
Gender pay gap
Gender pay gap is a serious topic. And to have an honest discussion about it, we must also present honest data. The "77 cents to a dollar" argument is like me asking why do I earn less than a neurosurgeon. If we are going to compare apples to oranges, we are starting out with a…
Marriage – Love, Arranged, and Other Things
First of all, let me set some ground rules. It will help in understanding this essay. I am a classical liberal. That means I believe in individual liberty and social progress. I am less likely to blindly agree with traditional rules or authority figures. This is in contrast to a classical conservative who puts the…
The Philosopher-Scientist 