Last week, I apologized for profoundly underestimating the degree to which racism, bigotry, and discrimination remained active forces in American life. This week, I want to answer the question that many viewers asked:
How could I not have seen it?
In this episode, I reflect on my upbringing in south-central Pennsylvania, the influence of a uniquely abolitionist and human-dignity-centered conservative tradition, and the assumptions that led me to mistake my own experience for reality.
I discuss the work of political philosopher Charles W. Mills and his concept of “white ignorance,” the intelligence community’s understanding of mirror-imaging, my experiences serving overseas as a Navy SEAL, and my work prosecuting domestic violence cases in Washington, D.C.
The lesson is not that I was uniquely foolish.
The lesson is that all of us have blind spots.
The challenge is finding the humility to identify them.
Why did it take me so long to understand what now seems obvious? In this follow-up to last week’s video, I explore Charles W. Mills’s concept of “white ignorance,” the dangers of mirror-imaging, and the life experiences that forced me to confront the limits of my own perspective.
