For an audio version of this post, please click on the speaker icon (top left).

 

 

 

 

This post will require a lot of audience participation for it to work.

I really hope that you will do me the favor of providing me with your genuine answers (please select the choice that closely resembles the first thought that popped in your head).

Remember that you will remain anonymous in your responses so you can be completely honest without fear of repercussions.

 

So without further adieu, I present,

The Shooting

Achmed stared at Michael, who was not more than 15 feet away.

Looking at Achmed you can see the rage slowly build up, his eyes with laser like focus on Michael.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Achmed raised his gun up and aimed at Michael’s head.

A quick pull on the trigger and the bullet was sent along its course, milliseconds later finding its target who instantaneously collapsed to the ground, blood beginning to pool by the side of his head.

The life drained out of Michael as quickly as it took the bullet to complete its fatal trajectory.

 

Please answer the following poll before continuing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The investigation was subsequently launched.

It turns out that Achmed was in his house upstairs in the bedroom reading.

His wife and three kids were downstairs playing in the living room when Michael, an individual long known by police as a violent criminal, broke into the home brandishing a weapon.

Michael had just lost his job to, “a foreigner,” got drunk and targeted Achmed’s family wanting them to suffer for his loss.

Hearing the commotion downstairs, Achmed grabbed his gun and headed downstairs and got between Michael and his family.

Drunk and angered, Michael charged at Achmed and his family, weapon brandished, which bring us to the beginning of this tale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have no idea how the above social experiment will turn out (hopefully you were able to answer honestly).

I will tell you, unfortunately, that this social experiment plays out on a daily basis and I myself have been biased against because of my gender and race.

Without going into too graphic of details, during my divorce proceedings, an actual argument to the judge by opposing counsel was that in India, Indian men are “well known” for abusing their daughters.

This was obviously meant to imply that, because I am 1) Indian and 2) Male, I therefore must be guilty by association.

I cannot tell you the rage that seethed through my very being hearing her utter those words (I was on the stand when she was allowed to make her unchecked outrageous argument).

 

It took a Herculean effort just to maintain my composure.

I later played that statement over and over again in my head for many sleepless nights I had during the subsequent divorce proceedings, thinking if this is how the legal system works it is no wonder that there are many innocent African Americans or other minorities populating jails these days.

Later on, when I had to deal with the frivolous lawsuit my ex-wife had placed on me for $4 million, I felt there was extreme prejudice against me early on.

In a civil lawsuit jury trial, the plaintiff (my ex-wife) has the opportunity to present the case first.

For two days I had to sit in the defendants chair while my ex-wife and her lawyer got to spew their unfounded lies.

Only thing was the jury did not know that these were lies as they came out so eloquently from their mouths.

I felt like a monster in that courtroom and if I didn’t actually know the truth, I would have hated me too.

It is hard to walk into a courtroom knowing your innocent but everyone looks at you with disdain as if you really did commit unspeakable acts.

However, as with any trial, I as the defendant indeed had the opportunity to defend myself.

The fact that my ex-wife was caught in several contradictory statements and did poorly under cross examination while I had the truth to guide me so I never had to memorize any lines (as the opposing party clearly did to get their stories straight) allowed the jury to come to the correct conclusion and awarded her $0.00.

 

 

 

The moral of this exercise:

It is important to delay judgement, bias, prejudice for or against anything until you get the full story.

In finance this includes doing your own due diligence so that you are not swayed by a sales pitch and just get one side of the story.