i3 - November/December 2020 - 2

From the CEO

food banks, donating to charity and sharing what they
have. And our police and national guard try to deescalate tense situations to keep us safe.
Sadly, we also saw some of our fellow citizens disproportionately carry the burden of COVID, including those
in nursing homes, Hispanics and African Americans.
Parents struggled with children learning remotely. And
single people suffered from the loneliness of
physical isolation.
But we also had an awakening. We saw a
movement become a national and even global
cause. Nearly 60 years after Martin Luther
King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, too many
people are still judged by the color of their
skin rather than the "content of their charac2020 will be remembered for COVID
ter." Too few African Americans have shared
and canceling.
in the American Dream, and we now collecWith many classes remote, conferences and
tively realize we can and must do better.
trade shows going digital, and everything from
Yet we also learned to be resilient. We
concerts to weddings and graduations iced,
learned how to shift our factories to make per2020 has been shaped by its cancellations.
I choose to
sonal protection equipment. We transformed
Hotels, airlines, cruise ships, and the travel,
see the
hospitals and convention centers to care facilitourism and entertainment industries have
glass half ties, shopping centers to testing facilities and
suffered from cascading cancellations caused
full.
homes to schools. We now wear masks to
by COVID lockdowns and fear. CTA has been
reduce the COVID death rate, and have norpart of this - we have shifted CES 2021 to a
malized healthier personal sanitation.
purely digital event - expanding its reach and
The tech industry, has not only eased survivtransforming how we help industry connect.
ing the COVID epidemic, it has allowed us to
But this all comes at a cost. We are hurting.
learn, work and stay healthy. Our devices and
Our nation's constitutional and cultural valsoftware have kept us connected, entertained and eduues of free expression have taken a back seat to canceling
cated. Along with the American Telemedicine Association,
those who express or allow more traditional or conservawe recently developed a Digital Health Directory for the
tive views. Some politicians on both sides of the aisle
health care industry to connect doctors, patients and cuseven urge the government to ignore the First
tomers with solutions. We have made a difference and the
Amendment and regulate Americans' online speech.
artificial intelligence, self-driving vehicles, robotics and
More, our divided politics have resulted in a chill on
drones our industry produces will make it easier to avoid,
opinions and respected journalists, editors and profesrestrict and survive a future pandemic.
sors have been fired or canceled for simply expressing or
We cannot and should not cancel this year. It has
having a view not conforming to the norm.
made us grow. We should recognize and celebrate this
But despite this division and attack on our freedom -
adaptation and focus on listening to all the voices in this
I choose to see the glass half full. The pandemic has
wonderful melting pot of views that makes our
brought out the best in many people.
Democracy messy but successful.
Food and drug store employees, health care professionals, drivers, warehouse and factory workers risk the
virus to provide essential services. Teachers and day care
workers are risking illness. Government workers have
been giving citizens services, including money, to not
only make their lives easier and safer, but to keep them
Gary Shapiro,
housed, fed and clothed. Ordinary people volunteer at
President and CEO
2

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020

I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

Noam Galai/Getty Images

COVID Crisis Cancel Culture Should
Shift to Celebrating our Diversity

i3 - November/December 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i3 - November/December 2020