Category: Social Justice

  • The Clearances and the Commonweal

    Many people don’t know early Scottish immigration to the British colonies in North America (which was huge, we’re the second largest ethnic group) was largely driven by the Clearances – campaigns of genocidal ethnic cleansing waged for profit by the British ruling class between 1750 and 1860. These clearances were part of the enclosure movement,…

  • Paying Privilege Forward

    Paying Privilege Forward

    A few thoughts on the race and class privileges baked into tech startup culture.

  • Be the person who stops

    Be the person who stops

    Let me tell you a true story. A father goes back to Utah where he grew up to show his three year old daughter the beauty of the high desert. As they are driving, the car breaks down. He goes to call a tow truck but his cell phone has no signal. He’s worried, but…

  • On being Pro-Choice, in deed as well as name

    On being Pro-Choice, in deed as well as name

    I’ve been thinking a lot about the wave of recent laws criminalizing abortion. Despite memes from my liberal friends, the divide on this issue is not gender. 60% of women and 57% of men in america are pro-choice – the difference is within the margin of polling error. Meanwhile, many of the most dedicated pro-life…

  • Conquest culture

    Conquest culture

    I’ve been thinking about gender and culture a lot lately.  Part of that is my daughter transforming practically overnight from an infant to a walking talking little person with her own ideas and opinions, part of that is the immanent arrival of her little brother, and part of it is the ongoing string of revelations…

  • My Daughter is not a princess

    My Daughter is not a princess

    So this last weekend my wife and I hosted a Burn’s Night dinner for a few of our friends.  It was great and we’re planning to make it an annual tradition.  My favorite part of the night was after dinner sitting in a circle drinking whiskey and having everyone recite their favorite poem (sometimes with…

  • 4 phrases men should use more

    4 phrases men should use more

    In every conversation there are things that are said, and much more that passes below the surface un-said. I’ve been thinking a lot about the words we use – and don’t use – in professional settings and the unspoken assumptions and attitudes behind those choices.

  • To be a man

    I’ve self-identified as a feminist since my late teens and have been very vocal about it, sometimes to my own detriment.  Not that I’m some sort of knight in shining armor, I’ve made my share of mistakes along the way despite my best intentions and I can’t claim to be motivated entirely by altruism.  While…