This is a great episode and it is always important to hear from diverse voices to learn ways to be a better human being - opening a small, inwardly-focused world like the pinball community to other perspectives is a good thing.

It was very interesting to hear the positive steps an organization like the IFPA is making as I don't follow that portion of the hobby very much.

Thanks for posting.

It was used twice before. And it is always the thing I encourage people to think about when discussing issues of discrimination. @ryanclaytor's post also talks about empathy, without using the word itself.

Empathy is absolutely extremely important and drives a lot of what will allow diversity to thrive.

Well, that's unlikely to happen any time soon, so what can we do to improve the world? Is it wrong to even question the idea of the status quo? There are things which are completely out of our control (birth rates on a global scale) as individuals, and things which are within our control (being truly welcoming of people who differ from others at pinball events and within the hobby).

You're right, some of that is systemic (nationality, weight, beauty), others not (sports teams).

I understand what you are saying, but it's hard to move forward as a species if we can't acknowledge that there are individual efforts that can be made to make the world a more welcoming place. Pinball should be one of the easiest ones on the planet.

I would echo what metallik has said: what's the downside to having more diversity in our rather small hobby?

I make no mistake that I am a paragon of virtue - as Ryan said, I am also learning every day to empathize better with those with different experiences. As Wolfmarsh said, I am learning how to be an ally.

While I am also engaging in these conversations every day with acquaintances, I do my utmost to hear them out. However, I have had people tell me that my stance is 100% political when in fact I don't care at all about the politics of it. Empathy is not a political issue. I care about doing what I perceive as the right thing. And at the end of the day, that's what I hear the most from people - they are trying to do the right thing as they see it. The point is that we do need empathy to see outside of our experiences and understand that someone may be hurt by our ideals of what is the correct thing to do.

When I learn of something like that, I try to change my behavior. I will engage in dialog with others that might not understand. I always, always try to be respectful. In all my conversations, I have not heard anyone (except one) admit that they knew what they were doing was hurtful. Not everyone will respond to that in a way that I'd like, but if the message is received, I hope that a seed will be planted and perhaps in time they will treat others differently than they have in the past.

Your experience is going to be different from mine in some ways, the same in others.

Can we all work together to try to make the world a better place? Let's start with something simple, and in our control (in some regards), like pinball? I'd imagine that most of us agree on that notion. It's really low stakes, small potatoes, but without small, simple changes, the larger and more important changes can't happen.

If you disagree, post away! I would like to know why, legitimately. I am not judging you for your opinion, I merely want to see if we can agree that we can make the world a more welcoming place, and come up with ideas to do so. I think the suggestion for a diversity panel for Pinside is a fantastic idea, and in the podcast, they discuss diversity in the IFPA. A good idea and past its time.

Thank you for your service. I can't imagine how difficult that must have been and continues to be for you. Thank you.

This is outside the purview of diversity in pinball, but I'd like to pose an alternate view.

I live in the former capitol of the confederacy, and I hear this suggestion quite a lot. I know of no one (truly) on the "take the statues down" side that wants to sweep the history under the rug.

When I moved here (in high school), I saw these statues every day. They are right in a very prominent part of my city and I had to walk by them every day to get to classes. They were a huge inconvenience to me because people drive very poorly around the statues. Until recently, Richmond didn't have true traffic circles.

As I started making more and more Black friends, the topic would come up. Upon listening to them, I realized that the statues, while a minor inconvenience to me, represented something far worse to them. It was a daily, hourly, -constant- reminder of subjugation. The statues exist in a very affluent part of the city and were made during a time and for a purpose (it's written into the documents enshrining the street to the city) to keep POC out -specifically.

In my personal opinion, moving the statues or adding historical context is better. We have a museum of the confederacy already and there are many institutions which have their roots in the CSA. I say add them to the museum if they are important to maintain. If not, let them go.

I can also tell you for a super fact that the history of the Confederacy (with a very different spin than you might expect up north) will continue to be taught in RVA for a long time to come. Years and years of history courses on it once I moved here. In previous locations, I had a semester or maybe two. I don't think we're in any danger of losing the history by losing the statues, and I feel that we have a lot to gain as a city by moving them or, if needed, removing them.

That is my personal opinion on the matter, and I know you have your own. My eyes were completely closed to this until I started making friends here, of a different background than my own, and I wouldn't have cared about the statues at all otherwise, other than as a minor nuisance. They are such an omnipresent thing in Richmond. This kind of listening and diversity is what will help us all to understand each other and prevent passive (or active) harm.

Thank you for engaging in a respectful way (I just saw your above post).

Here's perhaps a different and better example, regarding MLK, since you bring him up.

In Richmond, when I moved here, Martin Luther King, Jr. day was named, "Lee, Jackson, King" day. The same day was proclaimed a state holiday for confederate heroes (and also that MLK guy). Over time the justifications for this holiday waned. We still know about Lee and Jackson and their role in the civil war, but we don't need a state holiday to enshrine them - on the same day as the day we celebrate the achievements of MLK.

That one is much more blatant than the statues.

My point with the schools teaching about it is to point out that the history won't be lost without the statues. It'll still be taught here in the schools for a long, long time, if not for as long as VA exists. If you don't have statues and don't read about it in the history books or watch the documentaries, then there is the museum of the confederacy, Tredaegar ironworks, battlefields, historical markers and plenty of other things that I can't remember right this moment.

I still wish that it turned out differently for you. I'm sorry. Also, nothing is 100% black and white, that is true. For every opinion, there is an alternate one. Listening to each other and empathizing is how we all grow. Thank you for your response.

In this country, many times, we can. It's just harder for some than others. The video linked breaks down exactly why that is through historical context. It is worth a watch, even if you disagree.

Do you think we shouldn't try to make it more equitable for all, if possible/within our power?

If not, why not?

What if education is denied to you because of your appearance?

What if the places where you can live are limited due to your appearance?

Just because the laws were passed regarding equality, it doesn't mean that all obey, otherwise this would be a much easier and simpler conversation.

How would you overcome those obstacles?