Robby Slaughter

At the corner of 10th and Sherman on the east side of Indianapolis, there’s a quotation stenciled onto the part of the overpass:

Whatever you do in life may well be insignificant but it is very important that you do it.

Ghandi

This is not a great part of town. Crime here is about three times the national average. And I don’t know who is reading these words as they drive, pedal, or walk by.

But I do know that I find them inspiring. Not just for this campaign, where I am trying to talk to voters every day. But also for every decision in life. Do I hit the snooze button or do get up and go? Do I eat an extra dish of ice cream or do I make smarter choices? Am I thinking of others with each individual action I take, or I am thinking only of myself?

Maybe all politicians have these questions running through their minds. I do not know.

But what I do know is that everyday people do. The individuals I know and love, the parents and children and employees and caretakers and business owners all around us–these are people who are doing things with great intention.

So, I am going to keep writing. I am going to keep listening to others and talking to them. Because none of this may be significant in the end.

But it is significant right now.

Everybody knows that the U.S. government keeps a massive stockpile of gold at the Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, just outside of Louisville, Kentucky.

It was first moved there in the 1930s, and the building is one of the most secure in the world. You’ve heard the expression before: “as secure as Fort Knox.”

(And yes, the gold is really there. In addition to all of the media coverage when the vault was being loaded back in the day, it’s been audited by many professionals and visited by senators and at least one Treasury Secretary.)

But here’s a funny question about Fort Knox. If an enormous and powerful government wants to keep their gold depository in a safe location, why announce where it is?

This question should irk you. Remember, governments do need to keep secrets sometimes. It’s probably the case that you have some secrets of your own, or secrets for your family. Maybe the business where you work has a secret recipe or a bit of software or something that it’s best to keep under wraps.

So why did the U.S. government announce where they were going to keep all the gold? Because it’s impossible to keep a secret that big.

This is what I ask when I hear theories about “something” enormously dangerous that “they” don’t want you know about. What would it take to keep that a secret? How would you convince thousands of professionals to keep quiet about a secret that would change the world if discovered?

The answer is that while it makes for great television, in real life it’s usually impossible. We couldn’t even stop leaks from the atomic bomb project [1]. So it seems pretty unlikely that there is some mind-blowing, worldwide secret conspiracy of a handful of wealthy elite who are controlling virtually every aspect of our lives.

What is happening instead is far more frightening. The reason we have global conflicts, supply chain issues, labor strikes, public health disasters, each and every humanitarian crisis, and lines out the door is not because of some conspiracy to make things difficult. It’s because of incompetence.

You know this, because you’ve experienced it. You’ve had a boss that clearly had no idea what they were doing. You’ve spent hours on the phone trying to resolve a billing problem that should not have been that hard. You’ve personally seen mistakes that cost people thousands of dollars, or more. And there may be a time that you yourself did something wrong but never faced any consequences.

The crisis we face is not one of a handful of conspiracies, but an epidemic of incompetence. And most of the time, the problem is buried machinery of life. It’s whoever hired that idiot who was your supervisor. It’s the committee that failed to notice the recurring problem in the accounting system. It’s the well-intentioned rule that backfired under real-world conditions.

Government is about as the same as anywhere else. Mostly good people trying to do their best in a broken system. But government is huge, which means the problems are bigger.

And if we’re going to solve the problem, we’ve to to start with the truth. The problem is not a conspiracy. That would be easy to solve: round up the bad guys and put the good guys there instead.

The problem is incompetence. If we can admit that, we can begin to make everything better.

---

[1] http://blog.nuclearsecrecy.com/2013/09/20/worst-manhattan-project-leaks/

I went down to the Indiana statehouse today to attend a public hearing on redistricting. This is the once-every-ten-years process of drawing the boundaries for election maps. Typically, these events will have some opening comments by lawmakers, and then there will be the opportunity for citizens to ask questions or make comments. Usually there’s at least two sides to the topic at hand, with lots of other spin-off issues as well.

Not this time. Instead what happened was the representatives said their names, and then the public made the same comments over and over again for two hours.

Sure, there were some variations. But basically people said they wanted the new districts to be fair. The lines should be drawn so the shapes aren’t all wonky, so that each district is about equally diverse in terms of race, party membership, and so on.

I don’t get the sense, however, that any of the elected officials care about that.[1] Because if they did, they could have already appointed an independent commission to draw the lines. Or they could have already announced their criteria so that when the Census data comes out [2], they would plug it into the pre-announced formulas and walk away. Or they could have commented on the existing districts and their plan to change them.

None of that has happened. Because even though there were over a hundred people at this event, we are not the constituents.

The money is the constituent.

---

[1] With the exception of some members of the party that’s not in power.

[2] That’s tomorrow. As in literally this hearing is being held the day before the U.S. Census Bureau does their data release.

Pick a number: 1, 2 or 3. Remember it, and read this:

We could make ______ illegal. Yes, it would be politically challenging, as people are extremely divided. Those who are for ______ (which includes many corporations and lobbyists) have tremendous political power and resources. Those against ______ would have a hard time getting a majority. We’re unlikely to see any change.

But the worst part is that even if ______ were made illegal, that wouldn’t stop most individuals. People would find a way to ensure that ______ are available and accessible. They would have ______ in secret. And really, the problems that do exist with ______ would continue, but would be harder to study because ______ would be illegal.

So really, banning ______ wouldn’t work. The main effect of changing the law would be to drive ______ underground.

---

Now, go back and substitute one of the following words based on the number you chose, and read that again.

1. Guns
2. Abortions
3. Alcoholic beverages

Feel free to try it again with the other two.

---

This is one of the many reasons that politics is broken. Issues are framed as extremes, and we all know that nothing will change if we’re only focused on some idealized outcome. However:

In truth, we can make real progress on the issue of ______. We can have meaningful discussions about whether or not ______ are a fundamental human right, and if so in what situations. Because even those of us who do think that ______ are an essential freedom that must be maintained, we all generally agree that there are some limits worth at least discussing. For example: should _______ be available to everyone, regardless of their age or mental status?

I know it’s hard to talk about ______ without feeling emotional, especially if ______ have had a deeply personal impact on your life. But we must, in order for us to decide, together, what to do next.

That’s for 1, 2, and 3. And also 4, 5, 6 and thousands more.

Let’s not jump to extremes. Let’s try talking.

I am interested in politics, but I don’t like how seemingly everything has become political. By that I mean people seem to want to take simple concepts and use them to demonize others.

Here’s an example: the idea of doing an experiment. This is giving something a try because you have a prediction of how it might turn out. We do it with recipes and restaurants, hoping the experience will be tasty. We do it when we take a new route to work, believing it might be faster or feel safer. This idea–the idea of doing an experiment–is a perfectly normal activity.

But now I’m going to suggest you do an experiment, on your own. It’s going to feel political, because everything has become political.

I want you to open your mouth and cough on the back of your hand. Notice what it feels like. And then I want you to grab one of those face masks that we’ve all been carrying around for the last year, put it on, and repeat the experiment.

I am not going to tell you what will happen. But I will say that the results of this experiment will tell you something. The question is: are you focused on what occurred, or on how it was politicized?

Try it for yourself. And then decide for yourself what that means.

I was reading about this French police officer named Alphonse Bertillon. About his life, about his work. I imagined all of Alfie’s friends down at the café. I bet they made fun of him. I assume they would tell jokes at his expense. And also, his pals surely worried about poor Alfie when he was away.

Because Alphonse Bertillon started his career at the Prefecture of Police in Paris back in 1879. And he had this absolutely out-of-this-world notion that you could keep track of criminals that were repeat offenders. So he invented the idea of taking and tracking body measurements. Of carefully posed photographs we know as mugshots. Of using a bit of ink to do something called fingerprinting.

No wonder they thought he was nuts.

---

I get if if you’re a little concerned about me. This idea of mine—regular person running for Congress as an independent with no real budget—I understand if you’re shaking your head. Oh, Robby.

But I feel a bit like Alphonse Bertillon. And while I recognize it’s egotistical to compare myself to him, it’s not like you had heard of him either.

Yet, he must have believed in himself, despite all the pushback and the low probabilities. He must have had people who listened, who helped, who spread the word.

So that’s what I’m doing, too. I know some of you might be worried about me. But I believe that this—a regular person running for Congress as an independent with no real budget—this is possible. I think it’s something you and I can do.

Thanks, Alfie.

It happened earlier today. I was bringing a bunch of things inside and I must have dropped them. This is because my keychain is damaged and the car keys can slip off. I’ve been meaning to fix this, of course, but we all know how that goes. We all have tasks we are planning to do but haven’t gotten to just yet. I need to repair a part of my keys.

Once I realized they were missing, I began to look for them. I checked inside and out, in the hallway and the stairwell. I peered under the car and in the grass nearby. Nothing.

And then when I gave up to go back inside, I found the tiny, oval-shaped device sitting neatly on the concrete trim outside the building. Someone had found it and placed it there, hoping the owner would see it. Which I did. And now I can drive my car again.

---

The reason I am telling you this story is because there was a stranger who did the right thing. And I think stories like this are actually quite common. People do the right thing all the time. They turn in wallets and keys to the lost and found. They help strangers. They hold doors and carry packages and let other people go first. They give to charities, say prayers, and are kind when no one is watching.

If you watch the news, you’re likely to think that most people are horrible. But if you lose your keys, there’s a surprisingly good chance that anyone who finds them will try to help.

Which is why I think there’s hope for politics. Most people are good. Even if we’re often told they aren’t.

Thank you to whoever found my keys.

I was driving down Main Street in Carmel today, thinking about the opportunity to represent the people of our community in Congress. And yes, in case you’re wondering, the idea of that is in fact terrifying.

It’s overwhelming because there’s so much I know that I don’t know. I spot businesses that have sprung up since I was last paying attention. I notice a sea of faces in restaurant patios of people who I have not met. There are construction projects that I don’t recognize. And that’s one street—one I usually drive down a few times a month.

This follows a trip around the district a few days ago, up to Westfield, over to Sheridan, down through Big Springs and then to Zionsville. These are places I’ve driven through before but I don’t know them well. And they are full of people and stories it would take a thousand lifetimes to truly understand.

Because in truth, no one could know all of this. No one could be intimately familiar with every square mile of a single town, much less an entire Congressional district. It’s humbling to consider being elected to this office. Because no matter what one person does—no matter what I do—one can never be completely qualified to represent others. Even with total devotion to service, we will always fall short.

There are other candidates in this race already. Many people have already decided to vote for them. I might disagree with those candidates on policy, on messaging, on the challenges that face us.

But I truly hope that anyone who is running is feeling humbled. I know, every day, that I am.

If there’s anything politicians are known for, it’s finding a way not to answer the questions they have been asked. The art of spin is coming across as confident, knowledgeable, passionate, and empathetic without ever really giving a straight answer.

That’s got to change. I want to answer questions with precision. I aim to tell you exactly what I think. And that includes when what I think is, frankly, that I don’t know.

That also means getting ahead of the process. As with every election cycle, the newspapers will ask all the candidates to answer a series of standard questions. And incredibly, many of the candidates don’t reply to the requests on time.

For 2020, the Current in Carmel asked a total of eight questions. [1] Let’s start with the first, and probably most important one: Why do you want to run for office?

The best way to answer any question is to do so in waves, each one larger and more impactful than the last.

Why do I want to run for office? I believe that people like me—-non-partisan, open-minded independents—-are the people who have the best chance of doing the most good.

Why do I want to run for office? I believe the fundamental problem is not differences in policy, but that the public does not trust in the individuals and institutions who make up our government. Without trust, we are forever trapped in this endless war of fear and lies. I am running to earn your trust.

Why do I want to run for office? Because of ten words: If not now, then when? If not you, then who? This is where we are as a country and a community. We have to stop lying to each other and about each other, and the time to do so is now.

Why do I want to run for office? I am a helper. I am a listener. I am learning every day and am ready to learn more. I am a person that you can trust to tell you the truth, to ask good, fair questions, and to act and vote honorably.

Why do I want to run for office? To serve.

---

There are seven more questions the Current asked, which I will cover in posts to come. But I am not done answering this first one. I will be answering the question why do you want to run for Congress until the election is over.

Because if you trust that my why is the truth, then you can trust every word that I say from that point on. And that’s where we have to begin: with trust.

---

[1] https://www.youarecurrent.com/2020/05/01/may-2020-primary-indiana-5th-congressional-district-candidates-questions/

It’s back-to-school time as I am writing this post. But this year, it’s different, because this year we are 18 months into the pandemic. And that means we’re not entirely sure what kids and teachers and administrators should be doing.

Some are saying that because young people are very unlikely to catch COVID-19, we should be back to business as normal. Others believe we should require vaccinations for anyone who works in schools. Some people are focused on masks: making them mandatory, optional, or even not allowed.

And because of new virus variants, there is another problem. The data we have is from before these mutations. So how much is that data useful?

The issue, I think, is not properly framed. Because instead of focusing almost solely on what about COVID in schools we should devote time to what is it about schools that makes COVID a problem?

Yeah.

COVID is a problem in schools because our model for education is mass colocation. We require hundreds of otherwise unconnected people from all over to commute to the same enclosed space—every weekday, nine months out of the year.

That’s a recipe for rapid transmission of communicable diseases.

Now that we know the fundamental weakness—the issue behind the issue—we can start to explore what to do. Can we create an education system that doesn’t depend on mass colocation?

This is not easy. We all learned last year that with a camera and a screen we could sort of conduct business and sort of stay in touch with friends and family. But ask any parent or teacher: this did not do much good for kids in schools.

And even if we somehow figured out how to teach completely through screens, we have another problem: kids need in-person supervision. And most parents and guardians can’t do that because they have to work.

So the real, true challenge we face isn’t COVID. It’s that the we can’t adapt to problems like new diseases because our systems aren’t set up for this. We can’t spend time apart without nearly collapsing.

I don’t know how to address this for education in the long-term. But we do have to make difficult choices in the here and now. I know it’s frustrating. I know it’s frightening. I know it’s not the childhood we all had. But if you’re going to bring hundreds of otherwise unconnected people into the same space, we have got to choose the safest option: wear a mask, or stay home.

I don’t like this at all. But if we don’t require masks at schools, we are increasing a risk, right now, that we know exists but cannot calculate. And how we will ever make the big changes that we know are needed if we can’t handle a short-term challenge today?

This is what it means to prepare for the future. It’s to do something today that we don’t want to do because we believe it might help us to have more options in the future.

Please help. The future needs us.