The best people are the ones who have a personal struggle. Adversity does deepen you and help you appreciate the good things you have. The pain straightens you out even though it hurts. All of my best friends have big struggles. I wish it didn't have to be that way, but it seems that's the way it works.#

What Sterling said was absolutely awful. #

As I listened to it, I thought This guy has to go. #

Then I read the history of how MLB dealt with Marge Schott, an owner with similar views. They left her in place as owner, but barred her from any activity relating to the sport. Over and over until she tired of it, and sold her share of the team. I think it's a good story and one worth considering.#

I'm not sure if it worked, but I'm pretty sure that what the NBA does, later today (actually in just a few minutes) will be pretty much equivalent. And I'm not sure that it's the wrong thing to do. #

Eliminating one owner won't get rid of the ideas he expressed. They're out there. But instead of just attacking symbols, let's grow and start making things change. And what change looks like is people working with other people, ignoring the ideas expressed by racists. Working together against the people who don't want us to.#

On Twitter there are many people who feel they have the best understanding of all the injustice in the world. I don't pretend to be any smarter or wiser than anyone else. I feel I can learn from anyone. And I really mean that. If I catch myself acting otherwise I have a good talk with myself!#

But just as I know I don't have a patent on the truth, I'm sure you don't either. I've written before that we're all barking farting chihuahuas who pretend we matter in ways we obviously don't. Finding meaning in your life is hard. But your life isn't more meaningful than mine, nor are your ideas. #

So if you're waiting for me to bow down to you, whoever you are, you're going to be waiting a very long time. #

This has been a constant theme here on Scripting News. The answer is and always has been we don't speak because the penalty for speaking is so high.#

Men have lousy PR. We let other people tell our story. So when the main positive quality for manhood is strength, and when the ideal man is the strong and silent man, then saying nothing is a positive thing, right? Take your medicine. Be a man. Man up. Don't be a baby. Whatever.#

Truth is inside a man's body is a person, one that's not that much different from the other kinds of people. But if you tell a person over and over for their whole life that most of what they are is wrong (because we aren't as one-dimensional as we're supposed to be), and that silence is the right approach, well that's a prescription for disaster. And because our bodies are bigger that's not a disaster that's shared quietly. When the only valid emotion is anger, then that's how the emotions will come out. And there's lots to be angry about. #

Anyway -- I thought this piece about why men don't speak up on behalf of women's status in organizations, written by a male psychologist, was so interesting. Reading it, all I could think about is how he's going to get it. Now why is that the normal thing -- a man expresses an opinion and the punishment is swift and sure. #

The question he asks is if we don't have any vested interest in equality, and I'd argue with that, we can't justify speaking. We're told to shut up, and that's what we do. #

Change isn't going to come until everyone has permission to say what they see. And at first it's going to be painful and awkward because we have so little practice doing it.#