#racetogether and other bad ideas

Starbucks has embarked on a campaign. But, it is not a campaign to get people to drink more coffee. No, they want to get people talking. That is a good thing. People should talk.
What should we talk about in a coffee shop? Movies? Music? Clothes? The Freudian postulate that our thoughts are merely high functioning nero-physiological reactions to external stimuli?

Nope. Let's talk about race. Starbucks has instructed their lovely baristas to scrawl Race Together across your Venti Latte, along with your name and what kind of elixir you have ordered them to make for you.

So, at a time when racial tensions are at a zenith of touchiness, Starbucks thinks its a good idea to have those two words slide toward you, followed by the cheery announcement of "Santosh, your chai tea is on the bar!"

I am befuddled as to what I should do then. Am I actually supposed to engage my barista? Why would I? What would I say? How on earth would I be able to explain how the contemporary prison industrial system is in fact the new Jim Crow? Or that we live in 2 Americas - one white and one black. And that those of us who are neither, sit on the sidelines helplessly watching each side yell back and forth until hoarse.
Also - how can I talk to them, when they are always so busy? Even when there are no customers ordering or in line, I have never seen a Starbucks employee just hanging around. They always have something to do.

So, why am I blogging about this? Because race relations is a serious issue and 2 words scrawled across a paper cup by a black sharpie seems to cheapen the dialogue. But, this plan seems to be a part of larger trend in American society.

This trend is seen in how information is exchanged. The nightly news is the worst example of this. Massive stories are siphoned down into a 70 second "report". The ability to think longer and deeper seems to be fading. I like watching PBS and BBC news. There are a few American news shows that take the advantage of going a little deeper - 60 Minutes seems to be the best example.

#racetogether, yeah - but #thinkdeeper too.