[FRC Blog] Einstein Report Released

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To those that believe that the team of the INDIVIDUAL should hesitate to come forward, let's think about our culture for a minute.

In my experience, FIRST is about accountability and responsibility. We have an accountability to others, both for our good decisions and our bad. We have a responsibility to make the world a better place than when we arrived in it. This means we hold ourselves accountable for our mistakes and celebrate our successes.

On my team I've made mistakes. We all do. We don't hide them from others. We learn from them. We discuss them. We are accountable to ourselves but also those within our community. I know for a fact at certain points during my time on the team many mentors would have called me an arrogant jerk, and they'd be right. But the culture of our team and of FIRST allowed me to accept my mistakes and grow. Now those same mentors have hired me at their companies and have given me great recommendations because I made myself accountable for my actions and learned from them.

Now about this individual. I do believe that they are beyond being forgiven. Their actions have a malicious intent that I believe is clearly illustrated by the actions of FIRST in dealing with them. FIRST doesn't reserve that kind of action for an accident. The individual's actions were deeply hurtful to everyone who has even been touched by FIRST, and I believe that they don't really care given,

1.Their actions
2. A lack of an apology thus far

That said they will only be anonymous for so long. Eventually the community will have a name and a number to go with it.

My opinion is that team should come forward. Help the community heal and acknowledge that a team member turned out to be a different person than you thought. Don't help protect this person for your own anonymity. That can only last so long. If you truly did nothing wrong no one who matters and has half a brain would hold you accountable for something that you are not to blame for. Don't protect someone who chose to make a decision that terrible. Address the situation in a manner befitting the quality of the community we are all a part of.

The teams targeted are some of the best. Ever. They have worked to excel to a point that most of us will never reach. They should be celebrated for reaching that level and helping inspire others to do so. I honestly think they deserve commendation for simply maintaining a positive attitude despite the malicious actions of some idiots over the years (and yes they are idiots, no apologies). They deserve an apology and an explanation. Anyone in their place does.

In short, to everyone. Be accountable. Acknowledge success and mistakes, and grow from them.

Just my thoughts on a bad situation that had a fortune to be dealt with by some amazing people.