The Trap of Indifference

I’m writing this as a private citizen, on my own time, using my own resources - not as a representative of any university or organization.

Recently, I heard a pastor share a story about a rat living on a farm. Here’s the condensed version:

The rat noticed a rat trap in the house and rushed out to warn the farm animals - the chicken, the pig, and the cow - about the danger. One by one, they dismissed him.?What did a rat trap matter to them??They didn’t live in the house; the trap wasn’t going to catch them.

Then, one night, the rat trap snapped. The farmer and his wife rushed to see what they’d caught, only to find a snake ensnared by the tail. As they tried to free it, the snake bit the wife, leaving her gravely ill. To help reduce her fever, the farmer prepared chicken soup. When her condition worsened, and eventually led to her death, the farmer butchered the pig and, later, the cow to feed the guests who came to mourn.

This message stuck with me and, days?later, I found myself reflecting on it in the context of what’s happening in the U.S. today.

Over the past few years, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices at universities have been under attack. Traps were set - legislative, political, and rhetorical. Many people stood by and ignored these threats. "It’s not my problem," they thought, as state after state, institution after institution, offices were closed - even when they were fully compliant with state laws. Lives were uprooted, communities were left without support, and the people most impacted were dismissed as someone else’s concern.

It wasn’t anybody’s problem except theirs… or so they thought.

Fast forward to 2025. Entire universities are now unsettled, consumed by confusion and fear. The target has shifted: research labeled as “DEI” is under attack. The Federal Government and every business and educational entity it works with is under attack - by the Federal Government! And here’s the thing - many universities and businesses aren’t unsettled because these attacks are unjust or harmful to people. They’re unsettled because these attacks threaten millions of dollars in research funding, contracts, and indirect costs, dollars tied to their reputations and operational budgets.

Suddenly, it’s their problem.

It’s a sad reality when the only thing that stirs some people to action is the financial bottom line. We see it in government, in education, and certainly in business. One of the biggest disappointments I witnessed during the attacks on DEI in higher education - especially in Texas - was the silence of business leaders. Business leaders often touted the importance of a diverse workforce that reflects society and, ultimately, improves their bottom line; but, when universities - the institutions preparing that workforce - came under fire, many of those same leaders stood silently on the sidelines.

The same uninformed and ill-informed decision-making that set traps for DEI offices is now more directly threatening research, innovation, and yes - businesses.

Now, it’s their problem too.

I long for a world where people stand up for what’s right - not just when it affects them or their bottom line, but because it’s the right thing to do. I long for a world where people push back against retaliation and fear tactics, refusing to be silenced by those who benefit from injustice. I long for a world that takes to heart Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s words: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” - and acts like it.

We are all connected. When one of us hurts - when a part of our society, our communities, or our organizations hurts - it may not be immediately obvious, but if left unaddressed, that pain eventually reaches us all.

So what can you do to take action? Here are three thoughts (please share more in the comments).

• Write your legislators who are condoning and failing to condemn anti-people politics to let them know they are not representing your interests nor the well-being of most of America and, thus, are not doing their jobs. They need to hear your voice, even if they don't listen.
• If you are a decision maker, administrator, or business leader - stop over complying! Preemptive compliance not only causes immense harm, but also feeds into the tactics of fear and confusion that only fuel the adversary's fire.
• Actively support those around you who are directly impacted, recognizing that both lives and livelihoods are under attack. Your perspective, empathy, advocacy, and your voice can make all the difference.

Let’s go back to the story I started with. The pastor never mentioned what happened to the rat. But to me, it’s clear: the very creature they feared, the one they tried so hard to trap and eliminate, was the only animal on the farm that survived - not because it was invincible, but because it recognized the danger and took action, even when others wouldn’t listen.

The lesson is simple: Ignoring injustice doesn’t protect you from its consequences. Sooner or later, the trap that’s set for someone else might harm you. Dr. King's words still hold true: "We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people." In the end, survival isn’t just about avoiding the trap, it’s about dismantling it before it harms us all.