Overcoming hatred is a noble goal. Its implementation can be challenging. Hate as a word, like its dualistic counterpart love, reflects a vast array of feelings.  Hate can be as simple as hating a type of food or as extreme as violence against another person or group. Hating a type of food, such as beets, causes no harm except perhaps depriving the person of the earthy flavor of beets. On the extreme side there are those who define themselves by hating an entire group based upon some characteristic such as skin color.  It is unlikely any of us would place ourselves on the extreme side with racial bigots.  Yet, can we see implicit bias in ourselves? Implicit bias is the subtle means by which we all assess our environment.  It aids us in our everyday life by allowing us to function without needing to critically analyze each event.  We implicitly know the best route to take to work or the best time to go to the grocery store. These unspoken biases can also direct our assessment of people we meet. Implicit bias is not as loud as racial bigotry.  It is quiet. Have we examined the implicit biases we carry with us regarding people?  Overcoming hate may begin in the mirror.

Jim Black is almost fully retired and living in Door County with his wife Trish. They are enjoying the wonderful Door County community. Jim has been a practicing attorney for thirty-two years and self-employed since  2000.  Jim limited his practice to workers’ compensation cases and Social Security Disability claims. During his career Jim has had the privilege of representing thousands of hard working and damaged individuals many of whom were minorities.  Jim is passionate about working to create equal access to justice and service for ALL humans.