The Sexual Harassment Epidemic

I have written about sexual harassment many times.  Sexual harassment is in the forefront again, after women harassed by famous men have finally come forward. I want to look at this problem from a different perspective. What are the characteristics of a harasser?  Admittedly, I am no psychological expert, but as a discrimination lawyer, this is what I have observed:

1.  Harassers need to feel powerful because they are insecure, cowardly people;

2.  Harassers do not like women, in fact they may hate women;

3.  Harassers can rationalize their behavior, blaming the victim or claiming the conduct was mutual;

4.  Harassers are bullies, who pick on women whom they think are vulnerable and won’t blow the whistle on them.

Oftentimes, women, who are most likely to suffer from sexual harassment, suffer in silence, afraid of repercussions, real or imagined. It is hard for any victim of any discrimination to come forward. The victims do not realize that there are probably many others who have suffered because of this person. They think they are alone and feel vulnerable. The victims do not want to be blamed, do not want to be disbelieved, and fear being ostracized or even fired. So, sexual harassment can go on for years because the victims feel isolated and too afraid to come forward.

It’s good that some actresses finally came forward about Harvey Weinstein. It’s sad that it took them decades to do so. Hopefully, the actresses’ courage will embolden other women.  People do the right thing, if you make them.

What’s The Matter With Gray Hair?

My hair is a shiny white/silver color, much more white than brown.  The color is beautiful, even if I sound less than humble. The only problem is that gray hair adorns older crowns and is synonymous with old age.  We don’t like older people, or at least how older people look. What’s wrong with being old?

I do not feel old at 65.  While I am not at spry as in my youth, I am more content, more confident and less conflicted. I enjoy my work, my family and my life. I appreciate beauty. I appreciate art and nature. While I have less memory for proper names, my ability to reason seems intact. And, I have lots of experiences about which I have learned many lessons.

While I get that youth provides possibilities, I do not understand why we knock aging. Hopefully, as we age, we get wiser and more centered.  Losing one’s faculties seems horrific, but hopefully that may not happen, or if it does, it’s years away.

I think it’s ludicrous that we have to protect employees over 40 from age discrimination. Being 40 is like being 15, with a great many possibilities. We stereotype older people as being set in their ways, narrow-minder and averse to technology. While stereotypes may occasionally be accurate, oftentimes they are not.

In any event, I love my shiny whitish/silvery hair. The wrinkles are fine, too.

How This Messed Up World Creates Business For Discrimination Lawyers

Since November last year, I have noticed an increase in racial discrimination and harassment, sexual harassment, and other discrimination cases.  It makes me sad.  Every day some famous man is fired for engaging in years of sexually harassing os sexually abusive conduct.

I believe that most people are kind, compassionate and giving.  But those other ones, the minority of folks who are insecure, inhumane, and petty, are sure more visible right now.  Most men do not treat women in the vile ways of Matt Lauer, Louis CK, Harvey Weinstein and the like.  But, there are enough people who abuse power, who are evil, who denigrate others, that we have a serious societal dilemma.

I know we, collectively, are better than this.  I hope so, anyway.

[Editor’s note] Yes, Lynne has an editor, now. She’s been occupied, fighting for truth, justice and fairness. She’s back now. Watch this space for an update on the continuing struggle.

Justice Because of the Uncommon Courage of Regular People

I came across some news items that make me think of the role of employment discrimination cases in our society. Companies, like all people, tend to look out for their best self interest, be it personal, financial, or simply business. Discrimination verdicts can cause employers to change their attitudes of what makes a valid business decision.

There was a case against a large chain of restaurants whose management turned a blind eye to vile sexual harassment, eventually leading to a large plaintiff's verdict. Post-judgment, that company now recruits employees, while advertising its generous benefits and safe working conditions. 

There was another company that retaliated against its employees for blowing the whistle on unlawful discrimination. Now that company is touted as “spoiling” its employees with generous perks and fair work conditions.

There was another major company, one of the largest in the world, whose managers at one time told disabled applicants,  “We don't hire people like you.” Now that company is regarded around the world as a leader in workplace fairness and accommodations for the disabled. 

None of these companies would have changed their practices were it not for costly discrimination verdicts and settlements.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, “The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice.” In reality, the force that brings about justice is a civil one, brought about by conscious action of the brave employees willing to stand up for their rights.

Which leads me to another of my favorite quotes, “People do the right thing if you make them."  I am thankful for my clients, who, with uncommon courage, in some small but important way, have helped to bend the arc of history toward justice.

You neo-nazis and white supremacists are evil.

I have been representing African-Americans and others in protected class against discriminatory employers for many years, and what is going on now with our fake president is unprecedented. "There are good people marching with the neo-nazis and kkk?" Really? Not in my book. I guess those "good" people did not consider annihilation of Jews and subjugation, lynching and raping African-Americans as evil acts.  "White supremacist" boys will be "white supremacist" boys, right?  And those  confederate "rebels" who wanted to perpetrate slaverym with its concomitant violence, rape, and cruelty, well, they weren't really traitorous monsters, were they?  You neo-nazis and white supremacists are evil.

Our fake president lives in a world I cannot fathom.  He has no moral core.  He is infantile, narcissistic and insecure.  He has emboldened the worst in our midst, many of whom are trolls on the internet and may troll my blog.  They are the cowards among us, too afraid to lend their names to their racist, anti-Semitic and sexists troll posts.  You neo-nazis and white supremacists are evil.

As I have written before, I have seen an uptick in racial harassment claims since our fake president was elected.  I guess I may benefit financially from all of the hatred, since this outrageous conduct is more apparent and easier to prove in court.  However, I would rather the world be filled with caring and compassion rather than hatred and bigotry. You neo-nazis and white supremacists are evil.

All of you neo-nazis, white supremacists and internet trolls, some of whom will be responding on either my blog or Tony's, I have a few questions for you.  What made you be so afraid and hate-filled?  Did your mother not love you enough?  Are you so insecure that you fear people who you deem are different than you?  Are you simply a sociopath, caring only about yourself with the inability to feel empathy?  Why are you so despicable?  You neo-nazis and white supremacists are evil.

We must be intolerant of hatred and bigotry.  Look what happened in Germany, and in this country before the Civil War.  Sometimes there really is good vs evil, and you neo-nazis, white supremacists and kkk'ers are evil.You neo-nazis and white supremacists are evil.

The NAACP's Travel Advisory - Discrimination in Missouri

Much has happened in the last year that directly affects Missouri’s African-Americans, women, the disabled, religious minorities and older people.  Donald Trump was elected and then Missouri passed and Governor Greitens signed a draconian bill rolling back hard-fought civil rights.  

Since the presidential election, there was an uptick in racist rants on social media and in the public.  For some people, it seems to be okay to publicly show their vilest racist side, and they seem to be emboldened by the Trump presidency.  I see the increased overt racism daily in the calls my office gets from prospective new clients.  Up until recently, white people’s use of the “n” word was rare, the word had become anathema to civilized society.  But now, I have several race discrimination cases where the ‘n’ world is hurled at African-Americans with abandon.  My docket of race discrimination cases has markedly increased since the election, as well as harassment against gays and Lesbians.

But, it is not only the election of  President Trump, an admitted sexual assailant, that coincides with increased harassment cases.  This past legislative session, Governor Greitens signed SB 43 which rolls back protections for minorities and women in Missouri.  Missouri is the first and only state to go backwards in civil rights.  The new bill prohibits holding individuals accountable for racist, sexist, ageist actions.  The NAACP has issued a travel warning for Missouri as a consequence of the bill’s passage.  It’s a sad state in our nation where we stop protecting people from discrimination and harassment.

Before the change in the law, discrimination had to be a “contributing factor” for an adverse action to be compensable.  The Missouri Legislature recently changed the contributing factor standard to requiring that unlawful discrimination be “the motivating factor,” which increases the burden on those harassed to prove liability.  That, coupled with the elimination of individual liability, makes a race or sex or age discrimination case enormously more difficult to bring.  The change in the law is akin to arguments about whether a well is poisoned.  If a little bit of poison is mixed in a well full of water, it is undrinkable.  The well need not be filled with a 100% solution of poison for it to be tainted.  The law gives license to employers to fabricate non-discriminatory reasons for their actions.  A portion of racist or sexist behavior is now acceptable, although is anathema to this nation’s historic goal of equality.

As you might imagine, discrimination laws with less enforcement capabilities give a green light to those who want to overtly discriminate based on race, sex, or age.  The sexual harassment cases I have taken has also increased.  While individuals who are discriminated against have far less protection, they are still flocking to seek counsel.

With the election of Trump and the passage of SB 43, my caseload is growing.  I guess, even though it is against my personal financial interest, I would prefer to be out of business because racism, sexism and ageism become a thing of the past.  It looks like I will have work to do for many, many years to come.

Greitens Editorial - Couldn't Have Said It Better.

Editorial: Gov. Eric Greitens’ decisions are aimed at helping one person — Greitens Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/editorials/article159526964.html#storylink=cpy

Trump - I've Seen His Kind Before

Years ago I represented a brave woman who spoke truth to power. She sued a powerful man and his bizarre wife for race discrimination. As the case progressed, the couple kept digging holes for themselves.  They made self-destructive statements to the press, in their depositions and in public. They were their own worst enemies. Ultimately, they were defeated not by me nor by my client, but by themselves and their own imprudent actions.

Donald Trump, with his tweets and his media interviews, is his own worst enemy. Telling Lester Holt that he fired Comey to stop the Russia investigation was foolhardy.  Trump's tweets show who he really is, an insecure man, demanding allegiance. His skin is so thin it's surprising his organs don't just burst out.  Trump is filled with both hubris and doubt.

If Trump's fate goes the way he is heading, he is going to do himself in politically. Ignorance, coupled with insecure hubris, if there can be such a thing, will get him in the end. I hope he doesn't take us with him.

Covfefe Is Everywhere

There is covfefe everywhere, and I have just about had enough of it. Every day, from the White House to state legislatures, we are knee deep in covfefe. It's spring. Usually at this time we are surrounded by petunias, lilies, roses, but due to our governmental dysfunction, the world is covered in nasty covfefe. What vile creature excretes this nasty waste?

If we don't get some good, upstanding, honest covfefe cleaners, I fear we are lost. Covfefe is already filling the landfills, the trash heaps and the capitol.  The stench of covfefe pervades Washington, D.C., Jefferson City, Missouri and many state capitals. We were taught that the U.S.was special.  The land of the free and the home of the covfefe-less brave. Not so.

If we can get rid of this covfefe, we stand a chance. In fact, covfefe is actually manufactured in Russia. That's what I hear. Take your stinking covfefe back to the Russkies.

Easy to Be Hard by Three Dog Night

This song's lyrics keeps going through my head after the Missouri Legislative Session:

Easy to Be Hard from the musical Hair, covered by Three Dog Night

  "How can people be so heartless
   How can people be so cruel

Easy to be hard
Easy to be cold

How can people have no feelings
How can they ignore their friends
Easy to be proud
Easy to say no

Especially people who care about strangers
Who care about evil and social injustice
Do you only care about being proud
How about I need a friend, I need a friend

How can people be so heartless
You know I'm hung up on you
Easy to be proud
Easy to say no

Especially people who care about strangers
Who care about evil and social injustice
Do you only care about being proud
How about I need a friend, I need a friend

How can people be so heartless
How can people be so cruel
Easy to be proud, easy to say no
Easy to be gone, easy to say no
Come on, easy to get read
Easy to say no
But too easy to be cold
Easy to say no
But too easy to say no"

Songwriters: Galt Mac Dermot / Gerome Ragni / James Rado

Easy to Be Hard lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Get Affordable, Great Health Insurance With Pre-existing Conditions

Do you need health insurance and you, like many others, have pre-existing conditions?  Screw Trump and Congress. Here is what you should do:

1.  Apply to be a "community" or "visiting" student at a college like the University of Missouri-Kansas City or whatever is local to you. No need for transcripts, etc. just get permission to take a course for credit. (I have taken the History of Rock and Roll, Physics for Non-Majors, and Women's Studies, Ancient Classic Literature, and in the fall, a photography class.)

2.  Enroll in the course. Take the class.  Make sure the college provides health insurance for domestic students.  An added benefit is learning new things. A three credit hour class costs about $1000 a semester at UMKC.  

3.  Sign up for domestic student health insurance. At UMKC it is with Aetna. You can sign up per semester, or on August 15, for a year. The annual cost is approximately $2500. The insurance is great, since most people in the group are 18-22 year olds. $4500 per year (a class for 2 semesters, plus the insurance) averages $375 per month, about half of what comparable insurance costs for me, a 64 year old, under Obamacare, assuming no government subsidy. 

The student health insurance for an older non-smoker ineligible for subsidies, like me, is much better than Obamacare, and cheaper, and not subject to political whimsy.  I paid less than $2500 for great health care coverage for an entire year, as compared to $800 per month with the ACA.  Check out the college of your choice. I bet you can find a good deal. 

SB 43 - Keep Contacting Your Representative

The bill promoting greater discrimination and injustice, Senate Bill 43, has still not been voted on by the Missouri House. Please keep calling for representatives and ask them to vote no. Balance the Scales. SB 43 gives away the hard fought civil rights we obtained in the 1960s for race discrimination, sexual harassment and whistleblowers.  Missouri would be the first state to take protections away. Tell your representatives to vote no. There are two weeks left in the legislative term. We have to be vigilant.

SB43 - A Bad Missouri Bill Promoting Discrimination

The Missouri Legislature is considering making it much harder to bring discrimination and whistleblower cases. The bill's sponsor, Senator Romines, has a business that is being sued because his management committed vile racist conduct against an employee.

Missouri has been a leader among states in fighting racism, sexual harassment, and other forms of discrimination. Missouri will be the first state, if this bill is passed, to reverse progress in civil rights.

Please call or write your representative in Jefferson City and implore him or her to vote against SB 43. We need to move forward, not backward.

White Privilege

I am white.  Until recently, I never gave serious thought about white privilege. Sometimes I speed on the highway, past a cop, and I do not get pulled over.  I have gotten many warnings, instead of tickets.

In school, I always got the benefit of the doubt, that I was capable of doing the work. I never had much trouble with job interviews. In court, I am treated with respect,by lawyers, judges, and litigants.

We were poor when I was growing up, but my sister and I always felt that we could succeed. She is a mathematical genius.  We were put in the accelerated classes for the smart kids. We knew we were going to college, even though we needed scholarships and financial aid to get through.

White men had it even easier than we did. They looked for part-time jobs in the "men's" section of the want-ads and got paid more. They were, and generally still are, the bosses. We worked hard at our typing jobs working through college and did okay.

I know of Black executives and politicians who routinely are subject to traffic stops. Most bosses are white men, not people of color. We don't hear the "n" word like I heard it as a kid, but implicit bias is a real thing. The people with the most power are still predominantly white and predominantly men.

I do not know when or if society will change. Change terrifies those with power. People don't willingly give up power, especially when they refuse to acknowledge that they hold the power. Just look at Fox News. A bastion of white, male privilege.  Roger Ailes was bought out for $40,000,000. Let's see what happens to Bill O'Reilly.  I bet neither Ailes nor O'Reilly believes in white privilege, while they continue to profit from despicable behavior.

My Letter to Governor Greitens. (PLEASE OPPOSE SB43)

I sent the following letter to Governor Greitens in early March, 2017:

Dear Governor Greitens:

I am writing this letter to you about the Missouri Human Rights Act.  However, there is so much more I would like to tell you.  As you were running for Governor, I did some research about you and I feel I can relate to you.  I believe our upbringings were similar.  I am Jewish and my mother, grandparents and great-grandmother fled Nazi 

Germany in 1938, days before Kristallnacht, to live in the United States.  Unfortunately, many of my relatives were denied immigration status to the U.S. and perished in Auschwitz.  Being lucky enough to survive religious persecution, I became a civil rights lawyer, mainly representing victims of discrimination in employment.  I read that you were taught by Holocaust survivors and I imagine you understand my motivation.

I am a plaintiffs' lawyer and I know that is not popular with many people.  While I believe that the little guy deserves competent representation in lawsuits, quite frankly, I believe discrimination cases are different than other types of lawsuits.  Our country is special because we protect those who are disadvantaged by others because of their religion, race, sex, age and disability.  I have always been proud to be a Missourian, because Missouri protects the rights of minorities.  Without civil rights protections, I probably could not have gone to law school or gotten the education I did.  I am proud that we have a Jewish governor, something I never thought would happen in Missouri.

I have been to the National Archives and seen the original bill proposed for  Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. In 1964, when Title VII of the Civil Rights Act was passed, Southern senators did not want a bill that gave equal rights in employment to African-Americans, so they wrote in another category thinking that it would kill the bill.  They added "sex" as a protected class, and the bill passed anyway.  That is how women came to be protected in employment discrimination and that was the genesis of anti-sexual harassment decisions.

If the limitations on civil rights proposed in SB 43 and similar statutes in the House are passed, civil rights of minorities are in jeopardy.  Unfortunately, we have not eradicated unlawful discrimination and the discrimination laws do make a difference.  When I started trying sexual harassment cases in 1994, the harassment was horrendous.  Bosses were sexually assaulting female employees in the cases I tried.  After more than twenty  years, sexual harassment is far less common and I attribute the societal awareness to women with the courage to come forward and complain.  The changes to the law proposed by the legislature will discourage victims from coming forward.  I respectfully request that you veto any bill restricting civil rights.  Missouri has always been progressive, passing a discrimination law in 1959, five years before the federal government passed Title VII.  I have always been proud of our state's commitment to equality and fairness.  Please make sure that Missouri's commitment to civil rights is not compromised.

Sincerely,

Lynne Jaben Bratcher

BRATCHER GOCKEL LAW, L.C.

Retaliation. All Too Common

It is unlawful to retaliate against someone who brings a charge of discrimination. It is. But human nature, being what it is, retaliation is a fact of life. Some people retaliate, and tell themselves they are not.  No one is above retaliation. People in responsible jobs retaliate. Public servants retaliate. Famous people retaliate.

I have a case where I just discovered a well known person with considerable public responsibility retaliated against my client who was already being retaliated against by his supervisor. It's really despicable. I can not divulge any more about the case, since it's ongoing. I wish there was a way to test a person's character before placing him or her in positions of power.  As our president would say, "Sad!" Retaliation can destroy a person. It is really sad.

Human Rights Are For Everyone, Including Muslims

Today I was at the FDR Library in Hyde Park, New York. The special exhibit displayed the consequences and reality of Japanese Internment Camps. Despicable. The United States is not immune from discrimination, and history proves this.  We were a nation founded on original sin - slavery.  We have discriminated against the Irish, the Italians, Jews, Asians, etc.  Now there have always been people in this country who fight prejudice, like Eleanor Roosevelt. But, too many of us react derisively against anyone who is not like them or believes differently or were raised in a different ethnic environment.

Now we our President is trying to ban Muslims. Again, despicable. I can argue why this mindset is reprehensible, but I shouldn't have to argue why that is. You know why Islamophobia is repugnant. I don't need to tell you why. You know. I am embarrassed that we still treat people so badly. Sigh.......

REPOST - Getting Affordable Health Care At Any Age

Do you need health insurance and you are scared Obamacare will be repealed. Here is what you should do:

1.  Apply to be a "community" or "visiting" student at a college like the University of Missouri-Kansas City. No need for transcripts, etc.  adjust get permission to take a course for credit. (I have taken the History of Rock and Roll, Physics for Non-Majors, and Women's Studies.) This semester I am taking Ancient Classic Literature. 

2.  Enroll in the course. Take the class.  An added benefit is learning new things. A three credit hour class costs about $1000 a semester.  

3.  Sign up for domestic student health insurance. At UMKC it is with Aetna. You can sign up per semester, or on August 15, for a year. The annual cost is approximately $2500. The insurance is great, since most people in the group are 18-22 year olds. $4500 per year (a class for 2 semesters, plus the insurance) averages $375 per month, about half of what comparable insurance costs for me, a 64 year old, under Obamacare, assuming no government subsidy. 

The student health insurance for an older non-smoker ineligible for subsidies, like me, is much better than Obamacare, and cheaper, and not subject to political whimsy.  I paid less than $2500 for great health care coverage for an entire year, as compared to $800 per month with the ACA.  Check out the college of your choice. I bet you can find a good deal. 

When Did Civil Rights Become Un-American?

The Missouri Legislature is on the verge of gutting civil rights statutes. The majority party has been trying to look out only for the "big" guy ( read: corporations)!instead of the "little" guy for ten years. Lower verdicts, higher standards of proof, anything to protect businesses that discriminate. This year, chances for a veto are slim. Sigh.   When did it become popular to be mean and heartless?

If you are being sexually harassed at work, or discriminated against because of your religion, race, age, gender or disability, you better complain soon. Time is running out before your Rights are extremely curtailed.

I don't know what to say, except contact your legislators if you disagree with SB43 or whatever else is thrown at regular workers. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "the arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice."  That is no consolation to the woman fired because she is pregnant.

The Loss of Person

When someone dies, their body is gone.
They are no longer a presence.
The loss I never expected, though, was the loss of the dead loved ones' persona.
Vanished are their ideas, memories, loves, beliefs.
Their presence in thought and emotion and comfort disappear.
They leave a void of presence, a hole in the fabric of humanity.
What happens to their consciousness, their compassion, their opinions?
They leave a hole in the cosmos.

When Mothers Go

A mother is always warmed by your presence.
She remembers when she first held you,
your baby smell,
your soft, supple skin.
She suffers through your pain
and revels in your achievements.
A mother drops whatever she is doing, whenever you come near.
There is nothing you can do to make your mother stop loving you.
There is nothing you can do to make your mother want you to leave.
There is nothing you can do to make your mother turn away.
You are always welcome in her home, because, to her, it's your home, too.

So when she leaves this world, your mother leaves a void that cannot be filled.
You have no one else in your life that can replace her.
All you can do is grieve.

Hurray for Women

Those of you who believe that the real victims of discrimination now are white women - well yesterday showed that most of the women of the world, and many of the men of the world, tend to disagree.  There were Women's Marches in every free city, and some not so free cities, in the world. 

How does a movement begin?  It begins when a large group of people are angry and demonstrate their anger. Truth to power!  Anyone who denies white privilege, especially white male privilege, is not living in the real world.  It is easy to blame ones own faults on perceived discrimination, but let's look at the facts:

1.  Women are abused and raped at a much greater rate than men, with the perpetrator almost always a man.  

2.  Men are in charge of almost all significant corporations, countries, government agencies.

3.  Women are paid less than men. 

4.  Women perform most of the least desirable jobs, at much less pay, and especially women of color perform these jobs - cleaning, waiting tables, assisting others.

5.  Women are taught to be "nice" and look "pretty" (which means thin with makeup). Men aren't. 

6.  What do you call a woman that has a lot of sex?  The names are quite different than what men are called, "stud, Lothario, Don Juan, the man."

I could go on and I won't. Yesterday, women and men stood up against sexism.  All of you white men who feel that you have been discriminated against, as a class, race or gender, you are not. That doesn't mean that you didn't get the job/promotion or whatever.  This is bigger than you.  

I hope the worldwide Women's Marches mean we have a movement. While I love men, and some of my best friends are men, and discrimination doesn't apply to most men, the facts are still the facts. Women comprise 52% of the population and have less than 10% of the power.  That needs to change.  Viva la femme!

Get Health Insurance Without Obamacare

Do you need health insurance and you are scared Obamacare will be repealed. Here is what you should do:

1.  Apply to be a "community" or "visiting" student at a college like the University of Missouri-Kansas City. No need for transcripts, etc.  adjust get permission to take a course for credit. (I have taken the History of Rock and Roll, Physics for Non-Majors, and Women's Studies.) This semester I plan on taking Ancient Classic Literature. 

2.  Enroll in the course. Take the class.  An added benefit is learning new things. A three credit hour class costs about $1000 a semester.  

3.  Sign up for domestic student health insurance. At UMKC it is with Aetna. You can sign up per semester, or on August 15, for a year. The annual cost is approximately $2500. The insurance is great, since most people in the group are 18-22 year olds. $4500 per year (a class for 2 semesters, plus the insurance) averages $375 per month, about half of what comparable insurance costs for me, a 64 year old, under Obamacare, assuming no government subsidy. 

The student health insurance for an older non-smoker ineligible for subsidies, like m, is much better than Obamacare, and cheaper, and not subject to political whimsy.  

Our Responsibility - Make This World A Better Place

We are living in a time where our country is divided. People vilify those who believe differently. This division is epidemic across the world. Britain wants out of the European Union, fascism is on the rise in places like Hungary, terrorist attacks plague the world.  I have never lived through what my grandparents experienced, with their siblings and nephew perishing in Auschwitz, and I am grateful for that. We don't want to go back to the times of hatred, Hutus killing Tutsis, Sarajevo with snipers in a war zone. But what can we individuals do?

We need to make this world a better place. That sounds like a daunting tasks, but it's not. It does not take much effort to improve our collective lot. Loving one's family members and friends improves their lot, and, in small part, this world. Volunteering at a food pantry improves children's lives. I have a friend who gave me the idea to send books to a prison. One of the books that helped me was Dr. Victor Frankl's "Man's Search For Meaning," which I sent to a prisoner.  The book was passed through the prison and I just discovered it had a real impact on an incarcerated young woman. I was so pleased you would have thought I actually wrote the book, instead of just spending $10 and mailing the book to the prison.

We need kindness and empathy to get through the worldwide malaise. Giving acts are contagious. Giving is loving.  When one gives, it is with no expectations in return. We need to speak up and let our voices be heard. We need to object to bullies and we will make a difference. We need to make this place the kind of world we want for our children.

Kindness and giving takes little effort. Charity and kindness are contagious.  We need These acts now more than ever.

Women - Tired of being bossed around? 7 Rules

Women still struggle - while completing the lion's Share of domestic duties, and being relegated to jobs as "assistant" to a man, working to be the boss but stymied by the boys' club, or penalized for being a mother. Women's exploitation in the work environment is the norm. Just look at  How many female bosses rhere are in large corporations, far fewer than is rational.

Women are better doctors than men, at least according to recent studies. My experience with female doctors is excellent. Women are more likely to care about others. Women are good workers. More women obtain bachelors and graduate degrees than men. Yet, women still earn $.76 on the dollar as compared to men.

So how do women get professional power? I will tell you what has worked for me and my law partner. Women - start your own businesses and, not only will you have no boss, your fate is in your own hands.

Self-employment is not right for everyone. Here is what it takes to be successful and self-employed.

1. WORK WITH PASSION - Know what you want to accomplish - be it selling bird seed, cleaning houses, or practicing law. 

2.   ENVISION SUCCESS - Don't give up.  Consult with other successful business owners. Do not accept defeat. Once knocked down, dust yourself off and keep going. 

3.  BELIEVE IN YOURSELF - Self confidence is the key. Faking self-confidence Helps, and, strangely, authentic self-confidence oftentimes follows. 

4.  WORK HARDER THAN YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN WORK. Work, Work, Work.  Research, and work, work, work. 

5.  TREAT OTHERS WITH RESPECT (do this even if you don't want to run a business).

6.  TAKE CALCULATED RISKS - If you don't get outside your comfort zone, you will not succeed. 

7.  DO NOT GIVE UP - just like Winston Churchill said. 

Self-employment is not for everyone. You must want to work hard and loathe being at the whim of others, who are oftentimes less competent than you.  And you must hate being subservient to others. 

Whether you become the next Warren Buffett (or Oprah Winfrey) with your own blood, sweat, and tears, women need to be risk takers. For many of us, there can be no greater professional satisfaction than building your dream job and seeing it through. And no one bosses you around.  Building a business is like giving birth to a child, which is uniquely a female act.  You can do it.

IMPLICIT BIAS - IAT: What is it?

Very few people want to be called a racist or a sexist or an ageist. Whenwe hear those insulting terms, we bristle, and for good reason. We all like to think of ourselves as fair people. Most of us are not explicitly biased or, as we call it, racist, sexist, etc. However, it's human nature to have biases, based on our own experiences, teachings, and familiarity with those like and unlike us. Having an implicit bias, a leaning for or against certain groups or characteristics, is normal. If we can identify those biases, we can work on addressing, if not eliminating them.

At the suggestion of an attorney I know, I have taken four of the implicit bias tests developed by researchers as Harvard. IAT tests. And yes, I, am biased. There are several tests. When you take one on a computer, your views are determined in part by the rapidity of responses and, of course, the content of responses.

I took four tests, to determine if I am biased regarding race, age, gender professions an the Muslim religion.  Generally, people are biased toward groups in which they belong. Regarding race, surprisingly, I am slightly biased toward African-Americans, and not Caucasians like me.  Regarding age, I apparently have no bias toward young or old. Likewise, I have no bias regarding gender professions, probably because I am a lawyer. The test that is more troubling to me was the implicit bias test regarding Muslims. I am slightly biased against Muslims. That is valuable information for me, so that I can work on consciously overcoming this bias. I could spend a long time hypothesizing why my results were the way they were. However, I would rather understand that I have biases, on which I can work.

I suggest those of you reading this take the IAT.  "What do you have to lose?"