Of Fish And Water

Joe Doakes from Como Park emails:

Got this message from the Real Property Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association, sent to all members:

“The MSBA Real Property Law Section seeks feedback on what our members find valuable about the Section. To streamline the process, we put together a short survey for members, and in return, five members who complete the survey will be rewarded with a gift card to Target worth $50 in stores or online. The information gathered from the survey will be used to evaluate the Section’s current and future initiatives and keep us focused on the things that matter most to our members.”

Sent this message in return:

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Dear MSBA:  I won’t be completing the survey. I thought I’d let you know why not.

I pay dues to support the section out of my pocket, not reimbursed by my employer.  The section will use my dues as a reward for contributing to the survey.  But not in cash which members could spend on anything they like; the section will only allow winners to spend the reward at a particular vendor.

The reason that matters is this particular vendor has chosen to embrace controversial corporate values which are not shared by everybody in the state, such as the recent bathroom controversy or even stocking policies under which customers cannot buy ordinary items sold at other discount retailers such as spark plugs.  Target management makes these decisions to make a political statement of its corporate values, the better to market its brand to its selected customer base. 

Fine, Target can make marketing decisions as it sees fit.  But by specifically choosing that particular vendor over Walmart or Fleet Farm or a Visa gift card spendable anywhere, the Real Property Section signals to members that it shares Target’s value system and wishes to contribute to its bottom line profitability with my dues.  What does that action say to members of the section – or to the public at large – who do not share those values? 

It doesn’t matter whether I, personally, share Target’s values.  I don’t think MSBA should be in the business of rewarding businesses on the basis of which political positions they embrace.  I think MSBA and all its sections should be neutral.  I don’t wish to participate in an activity that makes it appear that I, as an attorney and officer of the court, have chosen to promote one set of controversial values over the values held by other citizens of this state.   Therefore, I will not complete the survey.

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This is the sort of unconscious Liberalism that blindsided Hillary supporters.  They literally don’t think anybody disagrees with them, never even occurs to them to wonder about it. I doubt my note will do any good – I suspect they write it off as “another cis-gendered White male curmudgeon” – but somebody ought to say it.

Joe Doakes

Someday, the concept “Urban Liberal Privilege” will need to be officially codified.

This is certainly a case study.