Rodger That: DEI Is A Political Movement

Sometimes I am guilty of accepting too much at face value. For example, the term DEI, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion makes a lot of sense to me. We don’t live in a perfect world, but a society where we see diversity around us certainly broadens our perspective. We are stronger when we include people from all backgrounds and all walks of life. I struggle with the equity thing, only because to achieve total equity eliminates the power of reward for individual effort.

In my book, Awake: We’re Not So Divided, I wrote about a visit to a prison, where there is probably as much equality as anywhere in society due to the circumstances of being part of an incarcerated group. The food is the same, living conditions the same, recreation the same, reward system the same, pretty damned equal. But ask any prisoner which he prefers, equality or liberty and liberty wins every time.

DEI is a political movement. In the history of this country we seem to embark on a new movement about every 20 years. Often these are justified by some kind of science. Social science is less exact than physical science, and it is used to justify movements. But history teaches us that science itself can be proven wrong. At one time science said the world was flat. In the early 1700s science said white European people were more advanced than all others. In the last 50 years, I can’t even recall how many things I like to eat that science said were bad for me before they were good for me and vice versa.

Almost all political movements, like DEI come along and replace one that came before; sometimes with unexpected results. The question is, what is DEI replacing, and what has been gained or lost. I’m thinking about this because research for my upcoming Team Walker book is at least hinting at how our nation’s enemies are manipulating the sources we use to justify political movements and even the science.

Rodger Recommends: Finding Voices Outside Your Echo Chamber

You never know where the inspiration for a good story might come from, or a key character or setting. One thing about writing adventure or thrillers is that a story is no good without a crisis that needs fixing or a problem that, without a protagonist's intervention, will become a crisis.

I like for my readers to understand why the bad guys (or girls) are bad. The first beta reader of my first book a long time ago, loved the story, but she couldn’t get past how my hero was too good to be believable. So where do you get ideas to humanize evil or to rub a little mud on the face of a hero?

I devote more than an hour each day to news programs and to blogs and newsletters. You probably also commit some time to what is being said about the world. But for me, to find the inspiration for good and bad, and tips about where history might be misleading or a current event is being manipulated, it is important to commit myself to sources on each side.

For broadcast news that includes PBS, MSNBC, FOX and OAN. I monitor a dozen different podcasts and e-magazines. It is really amazing when the left, left-left and the right and right-right align on an issue or person or place. It’s nice to see a little agreement. But there is never a story there.

Where we differ is the story of America. If I can take readers to someplace they will never go to, or an issue they might never pay attention to, then I have a story. I find that comes most often from personally finding voices outside my echo chamber.

Noatak Christmas

The Noatak Valley of Alaska is remote, stunningly beautiful, and still missing many of the accoutrements of modern urban life. Most of its inhabitants are Alaska Native, still hunting and gathering the necessities of a rich and secluded life.

The heavy door shuddered as Wyatt threw his shoulder against it, stumbling into the overheated cabin. He wiped caked snow from his eyebrows and trimmed beard. “I not hear your machine,” said Agatha, rushing across the tiny room to help her husband from his Parka. She hung it on a peg behind the tiny decorated tree.

“Broke down about a mile from here. The storm hit about an hour after the helicopter took off with Travis. It must be blowin’ fifty out there. Thank God it’s just spittin’ snow and not too cold. Easy walk except for the wind.”

“How bad was the wreck?” Agatha asked. “The radio don’t say when they called us for help. Only says he crashed over on Snowshoe Lake. Two more minutes, he’d a been here.” “My brother got out before the Cessna burned. He was talking all goofy when I got there, all mixed up about Squirrel’s present. Kept talking about a Ruger when I ordered a Winchester. The Army paramedic on the rescue helicopter thinks it’s just a concussion. He broke both legs, but they will heal.”

“Can we go back tomorrow and salvage any of the supplies? What about the mail-order presents?”

“There is no reason to walk three miles and back. There’s just a pile of cinders and melted aluminum.”

Agatha poured a cup of tea and handed it to Wyatt. He pulled a chair over next to the wood stove and began unlacing his boots. He tugged off his canvas pants and hung them next to the tree. “You and Squirrel finished stringing the popcorn. Is Squirrel asleep?”

Agatha retreated to the table and picked up the otter skin parka she had been sewing. She pointed at the loft and smiled. “I’ll finish Squirrel’s new coat tonight.” Her hands looked tiny holding the long metal needle she used to sew leather. “We got our present. Travis is alive.”

The wind howled outside. The only sound inside the cabin was the crackle of burning spruce logs. Wyatt sat, nursing his steaming tea. He mentally took inventory of their supplies. Things would be tight, but they would be okay for a couple of months, plenty of time to get another order on an airplane from Fairbanks. “I’ll order Squirrel another .22 rifle. An eight-year-old boy should learn to shoot. He’ll be disappointed that there is nothing under the tree.”

“The village will be serving the Christmas Love Feast tomorrow,” said Agatha. “I wish the ham and the rest of dinner had survived.” She refilled her own tea mug. “I will bake a moose roast. We will use the last of our potatoes. I have canned corn.”

Her husband said nothing, just sat rubbing his feet. He glanced at his watch. “It’s after midnight. Merry Christmas to the prettiest girl in the Noatak country.”

Agatha smiled. “I guess Santa got lost in the storm, maybe. He’ll probably have to send his presents some other way,” she added looking up at the loft. “It’s time for bed.” The smell of frying Spam awoke both father and son. “Can we use the radio to see if Santa is really lost?” asked Squirrel. “Maybe he is looking for Thomas, that’s how I signed my letter to him.” The boy ate the last of his pancakes, staring at the tree.

“If he got lost, he’ll have to send his presents some other way,” replied Agatha. “Maybe the helicopter scared his reindeer but I’m glad that Uncle Travis is okay.” The boy excused himself and pulled on his canvass coat then tugged his hat and gloves from the line above the stove. “I’ll refill the woodbin.”

He tugged open the cabin door, and tripped, tumbling into the snow, then screamed.

Both mother and father were out the door instantly. There on the ground lay Squirrel. In front of him a roly-poly, long haired yellow puppy sat staring at him. The dog had a ribbon around his neck and a tag. “What’s the tag say?” asked a startled Agatha.

Squirrel pulled the puppy into his arms. He looked at the tag. “It says Ruger.”

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Rodger That: The Difference Between Conspiracies and Fiction Writing

One of the great joys of being a writer is that my books introduce me to people from all walks of life and all persuasions. One of my most passionate new readers is a young man, a veteran with a new family, a good job and fascinating conversational skills. He follows at least a half-dozen Facebook Influencers, podcasts and on-line narrations from “patriot conspiracy theorists.”

He asked me today what I thought of a couple of “current conspiracy theories.” We took a few minutes to discuss, not the theories themselves, but rather how he came to hear about them. What became clear was that, like someone who writes historical thrillers, the people who promote these conspiracies begin with a nugget of truth and then build a story around that nugget. Like promoting fiction, the more the story interacts with what the reader already believes or tears at something they hold dear, the more the readers engage with the story and the more they pass it on.

There are two fundamental differences between writing fiction and promoting conspiracies. Fiction writers admit that the story is made up and the good ones write it in a way that the reader not only doesn’t care but enjoys the story more because their primary reason for reading it is enjoyment. Conspiracy writers write in a way that the readers are so challenged that they cannot walk away from the story without deciding that it is or is not truth.

A good novel asks the reader to engage with the writer to fill in the character’s profiles, to visualize the settings as suggested by the writer, and to quickly determine whether the plot is credible. I encourage my readers, who come away from one of my stories wanting more information on the subject to do a little research of their own.

Most conspiracy writers approach their work very differently. They tell the followers what is right, what is real and provide a narrow set of facts to prove it. Readers who question the premise, are encouraged to go to other conspiracy writers. They reinforce each other’s ideas in much the same way that Facebook Influencers support each other. I am not saying that some conspiracy stories are not pointing to important issues that need to be explored. But many are nonsense.

How do you sort it all out? First, trust your own eyes. Most of us are highly experienced in recognizing what is real. Second, trust your head to guide your heart, not the other way around. Finally do a little digging of your own, do your own fact checking.

If you really love complex plots and conspiracy, and enjoy getting drawn into them, find a good fiction author you like and let them take you into the unknown. They won’t expect anything more from you than reading their next book.

Rodger's Top 5: Christmas Joys

1. I’m old enough to remember ranch houses without running water, and intermittent electricity. I loved carrying wood from the woodshed, whole milk from the barn, and the glow of kerosene lamps on Christmas trees decorated with homemade ornaments and strings of popcorn.

2. My own kids love books. I love finding a book or two as presents and the joy of them taking gift cards to the bookstore to select their own.

3. I grew up both within a church community and outside of it. I am never closer to God than when I’m outdoors, surrounded by beauty unblemished by man. I try to spend part of every Christmas on cross country skis or snowshoes with Carmen, making our own trails.

4. It was only decades ago when the people of the Middle East, especially the Abraham faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam all watched warmly as each celebrated their most cherished holidays. The propaganda of the Nazis, looking for allies among the Islamic peoples began to erode that and the policies from the Iranian Revolution, (part of the plot from my book The Shadow Game), drove wedges between the groups. Among my dreams for the future is a refocusing on what we share instead of how we differ.

5. Among my Christmas joys in recent years is our annual holiday trip to Costco where we load up the car with pies, and turkeys, hams and other goodies to deliver to local groups helping others.

Rodger Recommends: Gone Fishing

Anyone who has read my blog or Facebook posts over the years knows that I have a passion for the outdoors. It is a critical part of my life and my personal well-being. Sitting on a rock and watching a river run, usually with a fly rod next to me is therapy. So is rowing a boat, trolling for trout on a lake or sitting in the back of a small boat looking for dorado and sailfish in Mexico.

Imagine my joy to find that a recent study done by Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, Ulster University and Queens University in Belfast quantified the value of hours of fishing. Those who took part in angling more regularly were almost 17% less likely to report being diagnosed with mental health conditions. Those who fished more frequently saw an even greater impact.

Fishing people shed stress just by being there, they come home more relaxed and the focus on fishing allows them to ‘blank out’ other concerns on their mind. They have better mental health and fishing also encourages more physical activity. Both mental health and physical health improve, even for those with health issues.

One British fisherman added, “Being in the great outdoors is good for the soul.”

With traces of snow in my yard this October morning, and a love of fishing in Alaska, you probably will not be able to reach me for a couple of days in the next week as I cram in a little more mental health fishing before the waters turn to ice.

Wherever you are, I encourage you to join me. Fall fishing with the turning colors and crisp air is really special.

Rodger That: Desire Driven Judgment

There was a time when I set out to be a VERY wealthy businessman. I owned and was running two fast growing successful companies. It became obvious that investments in three related fields could be successful and would help drive the success of my existing efforts. So, over a one-year period, I invested in three new startups. I found great staff people and field employees, but to pull it off, I didn’t hire any more strategic managers. All five firms began to take off. Working 70-hour weeks became the norm. I’d been single for years, so no problem there.

Then one day, a diagnosed fatty tumor lump turned out to be a very rare vascular sarcoma cancer. The doctors had no idea how to treat it, but I had one who was willing to try. His therapy included surgery which crippled my mobility and radiation therapy which sapped me of strength. I was gone from my office for weeks, and then my energy levels only allowed 20-hour work weeks. Within months, my mini empire was collapsing. I’d been warned that I was biting off too much, but desire based on past experience was a hard thing to rein in; too many tradeoffs. Over the next year, two of the startups failed. I was able to save the third by selling it to my employees for about half of what I had invested. With only half the energy to run one company I sold one of my established businesses to my employees, netting about what I’d invested years before. I continued to run the last company, but my life had changed. I’d lost about 80% of my net worth, but my kids were still doing well in college and my dog still loved me. All of a sudden, my priorities had nothing to do with wealth. That’s when I began setting up my life to pursue a lifelong passion for writing. It was a great call.

Sometimes we make dumb decisions driven by desire. I’m reminded of this period in my life as I watch what is going on this month in Washington DC. I’d watched months before as one man was so driven to become the Speaker of the House that he piled concession on concession and bad call after bad call. He won the Speaker’s chair even as many told him he was building a house of cards. Commitments he’d made became impossible to keep as situations beyond his control evolved. I don’t know how the race to elect a new speaker will turn out, but for Kevin McCarthy, I hope it leads him to a greater personal dream.

Rodger’s Two Cents: Banning Books

As a writer, the entire idea of banning books disgusts me. My Facebook and other friends range from radical progressives and more than one ‘Never Trumper’ to people from the far political right, some who believe we are in the midst of a Communist takeover. To try to understand banning books, I approached a couple of Social Conservatives and was a bit shocked to find that I agreed with much of their thinking.

Putting this into perspective, I reflected on my own childhood, where issues like sexuality and themes that divided us were not part of elementary school. I had friends of all races, economic status and probably sexual persuasion, although as a young kid, none of us even knew what that meant.

The Social Warriors I talked to weren’t book burners. Rather they believed that kids should be allowed to be kids and deep emotional themes in books should be reserved for later years when readers could evaluate the messages themselves without indoctrination. In other words, books should be age appropriate, as determined by parents.

I did not have the same experience when discussing book and curriculum bans with my ultra-progressive friends. Their abject anger over the new history curriculum and books promoted by the Florida Department of Education made little sense. Their primary argument was over one section of the curriculum that addressed slavery. The curriculum writers offered an observation that many enslaved people actually accumulated skills that helped them after slavery was outlawed. Somehow this was interpreted as a justification for slavery.

In Solomon Northup’s book Twelve Years A Slave, written by a former slave, he discusses numerous jobs he did and observed others doing. They included lumbering and mill operations, construction, maritime work, and others. Any study of the collapse of the southern economy at the end of the Civil War and situations that fueled ongoing racial anger shows that the lower and middle income southerners saw many of the jobs that supported their families go to newly freed black Americans under the Military rule of the South after the war.

What we need to address is access to controversial books when kids are at an age to interpret and analyze what they read. Heller’s Catch 22, and the book Rosa which addresses racism in the mid 20th century are important works. Cider House Rules, which addresses issues like drug use and abortion, is not a ‘how to’ book; rather it is a vivid telling of the emotional brutality that can come with adolescent life. Many of these themes make those on the right uncomfortable, but they are important for our youth to read—when they are ready.

On the other side of the aisle, much of the historical fiction and non-fiction writing deal with issues and practices that today most reject, for example slavery. But we cannot change history by ignoring it. Many of our founding fathers owned slaves at a time when it was culturally acceptable. Writing those leaders out of history is simply ignoring all the other things that they did for the country. Finding the silver lining in dark places proves that throughout history, mankind has been trying to make the world a better place.

Rodger's Top 5: Life Lessons

My values, like most of us, have evolved over the years. Many of the trappings of success when I was 30 are not only less important today, but some also I’ve learned are deterrents to a successful life. With that said, I find that time alone on the porch of a wilderness cabin, watching brown bears fish in the river below offers a perspective that is hard to find in the clutter of modern life. I just returned from nine days with four guys, hunting and telling lies over a drink or two. I loved it but also found time to just be alone as I do every year. I jotted down a number of life’s lessons and found the priorities different from just a couple of years ago and added some while deleting others. I try to do this annually, to set priorities for the coming year. Here are my 2023 lessons.

1. Relationships are the most important part of life. Family, good friends, old friends and young, business and professional relationships give meaning to life. This requires sharing honest experiences, genuinely listening, and embracing others’ priorities. As a writer this is essential, because those relationships are the ones that give me critical feedback and make both life and my writing better.

2. Time is finite and incredibly valuable. In a normal week I will devote five hours a day to my profession and craft. That discipline affords me the time to do other things I love like spending time outdoors and being with people I enjoy. Managing my time also keeps me from the life-robbing feelings of “I wish I had…” and “I should have…”

3. Learning is a lifetime process. Early in life much of my learning came from study and classroom work both in school and in career. Later I found that observing others and how they do things was more valuable. And of course, embracing the lessons of my own failures and treating them as learning experiences remains one of my highest priorities.

4. Good health, both physical and mental, is one of my most treasured gifts. As a cancer survivor, one who stepped on a stingray snorkeling ending up with a pacemaker, and one who’s always attacked life, a little gray hair is a bonus. I work out, walk ten to fifteen miles a week. I also have learned to deal with problems immediately, not to let them become a crisis. Love of life is difficult if you spend all your time anguished.

5. Dogs… (or for some cats or horses or other pets) in my life bring great joy and peace. Writing is a solitary career, with hours on end spent alone. Having a dog come up and put his head in my lap for an ear rub a couple of times a day, forces me to break and reminds me of the importance of caring for myself and others. Weatherby, and before him Winchester, Ruger, and others help me keep that perspective.

Rodger That: Scarface

Most of my friends who write for a living reside outside of Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, or Denver. Our home is only ten miles from the center of Anchorage, with a population of 330,000, where we have three four-star restaurants and a performing arts center where Hamilton is now playing.

That’s where our home is, but we prefer our remote log cabin on a pristine river two hours by plane from Anchorage, where we are connected to the wilderness, to moose, lynx, ravens, foxes, wolves and eagles. Looking out over the river we see the swirls of thousands of salmon making their way to spawn and eventually to die. The world as planned during its creation is one of beauty, survival, simplicity, and brutality.

We get to know our neighbors. We recognize certain eagles and ravens and grey jays who make a living around our cabin. Sprue grouse feed on spruce needles and plant tips all winter, and on salmonberries, cranberries and blueberries in the summer. Moose are browsers, their favorite meals include fresh summer grass, but their everyday diet is the new growth on willow trees.

Others feed on the browsers. That is a more violent experience. We’ve watched cow moose repeatedly charge wolves and brown bears to protect their newborns. Sometimes they fail. Even when the mass of salmon arrives in our valley there can be conflict. Brown bears will stake out the best fishing sites, generally small tributaries, or shallow riffles where the bear's speed gives them an advantage over swimming salmon. Usually, the first bears in those areas are sows with cubs. The females will fight to protect the best fishing areas, but almost always they will be pushed out by larger and stronger males. (The good news for them is that by the time that happens, there are so many fish in the river that they can feed their young almost anywhere.)

At the height of the salmon run, we experience what many call, ‘survival of the fittest,’ where the strongest and most powerful bears, sometimes sows, will fight brutally to protect their easy meals. Meet SCARFACE, not the largest bear in the valley, but huge, probably weighing more than 800 pounds. SCARFACE has a reputation for being fearless and we’ve never seen him lose a battle. He wears the disfigurement of dozens of wounds, ripped skin, torn ears, slashed legs and chewed feet. He’s earned and proudly displays every one of those blemishes. His years of fighting against extraordinary odds means he seldom needs to fight anymore. His mere presence assures him of dominance. He’s also known to just lie on the bank and sleep while other bears use his fishing hole.

In the world most of us live in, people who have the strength to overcome, whose wounds become learning experiences have a leg up. SCARFACE has earned a tame and abundant life, but from time to time we see inexperienced bears watching him and can almost read their minds thinking, ‘that’s not fair.’  Unlike the human world, the concept of ‘that’s not fair’ doesn’t offer any solace. Not all successful Americans earned their success. Some born with a silver spoon in their mouth try to tell us that they put it there themselves. But overall, if more of us fought as hard as SCARFACE, if instead of success envy we studied it and emulated it, most of us would reach a point where life offered more abundance and peace.

Anyway, I just wanted to introduce you to an acquaintance who I have great respect for.