Decision Making
They say the worst time to make major decisions is when you are under stress or under a deadline. Typically that means you are making a rushed choice, one that could have far-reaching implications, and you are doing it without proper data or evaluation.
That’s why, while it is tempting to call for immediate action to be taken in light of a given topic, it is good to take a break and evaluate the full ramifications of such quick action.
I’m reminded of this in light of all the calls for massive police reform in the country. Where were those calls three weeks ago? And if, in fact, the Minneapolis case has brought a broader issue to the public’s attention, then we should have a proper conversation about the topic and not react to one single incident. If it is not an isolated situation, bring those forward.
I’m not saying we should not take some action, far from it. But I was struck by calls in the capital city of Des Moines to issue ordinances regarding police behavior, and the fact that a number of community leaders, including the state NAACP, asked the council to wait until there had been time to properly study the ordinance as opposed to rushing to pass it this past Monday. The council did, in fact, pass an ordinance, subject to amendment.
The fear on all sides, for different reasons, is that in the rush to do something, you do something that is not adequate and the opportunity for meaningful change is lost. We all look to councils and legislative bodies to pass something and then we think the problem is solved. Doing it right once is far better than having to go back and revisit it a second or even a third time.
Passing an ordinance or law is not going to fix a problem. We have to resist the temptation to be overly quick to action and create a false sense of resolution of an issue.
