Hate Has No Place Here

I was invited to speak to a group this week and I got an interesting question that got me thinking. The question was about why Verizon has started taking a political position. I have heard this more often recently and what is particularly interesting is that political liberals think the company has a conservative political position while political conservatives think the company has a liberal political position. The fact is that the premise is incorrect: Verizon doesn’t have a political position. The mistake people make is conflating politics, policy, and values, which are three different things.

From a political perspective, the company engages with politicians on both sides of the aisle and we take great care to keep that engagement balanced. If we donate to the Republican Governors’ Association, we donate the exact same amount to the Democratic Governors’ Association, our Political Action Committee ensures that giving to members of Congress is balanced between the parties, etc. We don’t want to be associated with one political party or the other because we need to work with politicians in both parties.

In contrast, Verizon does have very specific policy positions. We advocate for policies that will best allow us to invest in our networks and create solutions for our customers. Generally speaking, Republicans are viewed as more supportive of policies that are beneficial to businesses (which is why some people assume we favor Republicans from a political perspective) but this is far from an ironclad rule. There are some Republican lawmakers whose policy positions are not helpful to us, and we work with many Democratic lawmakers who have a nuanced and sophisticated understanding of how businesses’ being successful benefits employees, customers, and communities. Policy is not the same as politics.

Finally, we have a very clear set of company values that are non-negotiable. These include embracing diversity and inclusion and treating one another with respect regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. These values are fundamental and should not be seen as political, although some insist on doing so. Unfortunately, there are highly visible politicians in both parties whose actions have been inconsistent with our values. Those individuals’ actions would preclude them from being hired by Verizon or, if they were employees, would have led to their dismissal for cause. So when we reiterate our values, it has nothing to do with anyone’s political party; we are simply making clear what we stand for as a company.

That brings me to the conversations that currently are taking place about the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. I must admit that I struggle to understand why this is a conversation we even need to have. I have never understood how someone can decide they hate an entire class of human beings. I can think of many reasons that someone might dislike me, but to dislike me because my ancestors lived in Ireland is simply absurd. Personally, I know many, many Americans with Asian or Pacific Islander ancestry, and I know many of our colleagues in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, and elsewhere in Asia, and I have positive feelings about literally each and every one of them. But even if I did not, it is irrational to attribute negative feelings about someone to a characteristic like where their ancestors lived or their skin hue. So while I always try to look at things from others’ point of view and give everyone the benefit of the doubt, there is absolutely no acceptable reason to stereotype an entire group. And to attack someone physically based on their race is wrong anytime, anywhere. It is ignorant. It is despicable. It is cowardly.

To my AAPI friends and colleagues, I am sorry that we even have to have this discussion. I am sorry that some of you have been made to feel unsafe. I am sorry that some of you have been stereotyped and slandered based on your ancestry. At Verizon our values are clear: we embrace and celebrate both the humanity we have in common and the diversity that makes us each unique. Hate has no place here. I respect and appreciate each of you for who you are as unique and special fellow human beings. (Excerpt from my weekly internal department blog)