The Number One Rule

After being defeated soundly by Malik in our first Othello game together, he started to walk away. I invoked the non-negotiable number one rule of life—“Winner cleans up!” Even at 6-years old, he knew there was no arguing. That’s the rule and no discussion necessary.

 

Now it’s time to alert the white-privileged upper-class mostly-male population that the world is a mess and it’s their job to clean it up. Clean up the wreckage of slavery and genocide and Jim Crow and redlining and school-to-prison-pipeline that bought them their house on the hill, the aftermath of plundering the earth without thought for a single future generation, the detritus of their 5 million dollar yachts and trips to space while Amazon employees struggle with their health issues from poor working conditions. 

 

And yet they keep walking away from the game, continue to throw their trash out on the street for others to clean up, gloat about winning without even paying the tiniest debt to society—say income tax. How can I teach my grandson what’s fair and just and necessary in the face of their boldfaced and shameless flaunting of the most basic rules of human civility? Why did nobody teach them?

Time to hold them accountable. Winner cleans up the game. No more ifs, ands or buts. Do it!

 

Now!