Biased Anyone?

By Dr. Harold A. Black

blackh@knoxfocus.com

haroldblackphd.com

The Wall Street Journal had an article about a nurse who was fired because she refused to take a test to reveal any implicit bias. Her reasons mainly involved her insisting she was not biased in the administration of her duties. Moreover the most common administered test of implicit bias is notoriously uneven, indicating bias one time and no bias another time for the same individual. While I am sympathetic to her view, I would love to take such a test because I would be curious to find any implicit biasness.

I know what are my explicit biases. I do not like “progressives”. I do not like those who hate the Constitution and the foundations of our republic. I don’t like those who prefer mob rule. I don’t like socialists. I do not like communists. I do not like fascists. I don’t like racists. I don’t like white supremacists. I hate the rebel flag. I don’t like Black Lives Matter. I don’t like those who hate the first amendment. I don’t like those who want to annul the second amendment. I don’t like those who hate the Founding Fathers. I don’t like Critical Race Theory. I don’t like the Green New Deal. I do not like the Squad. I don’t like those who think minorities are victims. I don’t like the cancel culture. I don’t like the “woke” military. I don’t like “spokesmen”. I don’t like those who would perform transgender surgeries on children. I don’t like discretionary monetary policy. I don’t like the politicization of the FBI, the CIA, the IRS, the Department of “Justice.” I don’t like “settled science.” I don’t like the term “misinformation” or those who use it on conflicting evidence. I don’t like those who would silence opinions on campuses, in schools, in the press, in the media or anywhere in the universe. I don’t like open borders. I don’t like inflation. I don’t like teacher’s unions. I don’t like colleges of “education.” I don’t care for those who are not intellectually curious. I don’t like the dumbing down of education at all levels. I hate it that our kids can’t read or do math or write coherent sentences. I do not like the uptick in crime. I do not like low or no bail for repeat offenders. I do not like those who just are too nice to say no to those who are saying that every white person is racist. I don’t like those attempting to change our language (re: Latinx and womxn). I don’t care for vaccine mandates or mask mandates or lockdowns or those government officials who abuse their authority. I don’t like violent movie trailers. I don’t like snobs. I don’t like climate change zealots. I don’t like ESG or woke corporations. I don’t like whiners who always feel “threaten” or are “hurtful”. I don’t care for those who want to know my pronouns.

So I admit my explicit biases. But that does not mean that I treat people differently in my professional capacity. When I was in a leadership role in the federal government, I consciously made it a point to treat everyone fairly. As a professor I endeavored to do the same – although students may not have agreed. It was the work that mattered and not who they voted for in the past election. I have strong beliefs and those are built on my upbring and my education in economics and finance. Anyone who loves the basics of those disciplines tends to be laissez-faire and pro-markets. Given that those principles are baked into the foundation of this country (read Alexander Hamilton), one also understands the power and freedom for all built into our founding documents. I occasionally get an email saying “How can you write what you do because you are black?” My answer is always “I write what I do because I am black.” I have always said “prove me wrong.” If you do, then I will adopt your opinion.

Those are some of my explicit biases. What are my implicit biases and if I have any, then so what?