bizzeck asked: I'm not sure how much you may want to debate this topic, but I found Jim Davis' article about women in magic spot on. As a male/white person who plays magic, when exactly is the focus placed on just being a mature, caring person in general?

Here’s the issue. When things are set up in a way that they benefit you, it’s hard sometimes to recognize that they don’t benefit everyone.

Imagine for example, you go play in a new store that you’ve never played at before. When you start round one, your opponent starts with 40 life. When you correct him, he tells you that at this store, if you live within a 5-mile radius of the store, you get to start at 40 life.

You say that that’s unfair, but he says that that’s how they’ve played in this store since Magic first came out in 1993 and that no one in the store has any issues with it. To them, that is the status quo. It’s how they learned to play and it’s just accepted as the way things are.

Now them seeing it acceptable and fair doesn’t make it any less unfair for you. The problem is at this store you’re the minority who doesn’t like the status quo. Things aren’t going to change if you’re the only voice who says it’s wrong. Some of the regulars at the store, some of the ones who get 40 life, have to also stand up and go, “You know what? This isn’t right. We need to change this.”

That’s what this conversation is about. Women make up 38% of Magic players yet this isn’t remotely reflected in in store play. Why? What factors are causing this to be so? And if it’s going to change, it requires those of us in the majority to stand up and say, “You know what? This isn’t right. We need to change this.”