Nov 20, 2020

Protecting our Democracy

I believe that the overwhelming majority of people are moderates who may not always recognize our duty to stand up and be counted. But in moments like this, we must defend our Constitutional norms and uphold American trust in our democracy. This piece is based off of an email I felt compelled to send to Senate Majority Leader Shirkey and House Speaker Chatfield this afternoon.

Dear Michigan Senate Majority Leader Shirkey and House Speaker Chatfield,

We have never met, but I hope to meet you one of these days and to be able to express my deep gratitude for your role in safeguarding our democracy. You have been thrust into a historic moment. How you act today will determine a lot about our nation’s future, the integrity of American elections, and the character of the Republican Party.

I am a proud independent, as I have always feared the danger of being blinded by partisan loyalty.

I know you are facing enormous pressure to disregard the will of the people, and I hope you will be able to draw strength and courage, transcend any pressure, and honor our Constitutional norms and all regulations. While there is no doubt that President-elect Biden will take his seat in the White House come January 20th, sowing doubt in our electoral process in the interim only weakens our democracy and benefits despots and totalitarian leaders elsewhere.

As the son of a Holocaust survivor, I have observed the danger humanity faces by the nature of our inaction. The overwhelming majority of people are moderates who want to be left alone. Our natural instinct may not be to recognize our duty to stand up and be counted. But that cedes the space to those with more extreme points of view who have narrow selfish goals and will stop at nothing to achieve them. This can cause enormous harm to society.

That is the reason I am writing to you today. For you to know there are countless hundreds of millions of citizens who cherish our democracy and who will be grateful and have your backs when you stand up and ensure the law is respected.

With appreciation,

Daniel Lubetzky

Democracy

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You can’t make big ESG commitments while failing at the basics of kindness

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Ultimately, what we achieve as corporate leaders, even in the form of social impact, must work hand in hand with how we go about achieving it. How we act along our journeys is at least as important as–if not more so than–the destination. For example, if we are donating a portion of profits to at-need communities, but not being open-minded, respectful, and honest in how we lead in the workplace, we risk undermining our larger goals by contributing to a disrespectful, intolerant, or unethical culture. In fact, a company with no stated social mission that is modeling positive values like integrity and respect may be doing more good for our world than one with a big ESG commitment failing at the basics of kindness.

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The Media Is Over-Covering Divisiveness. It’s Going to Destroy Us

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