You can say it several
different ways, but when something goes wrong there is often an effort to fix
the blame on one person, or group, to deflect the responsibility from an
organization, or the leader of the organization. You probably have heard some
of these before. However, we'll provide a few of them here.
Sometimes, it is said that
someone is getting, “thrown under the bus.” Another way of putting it is that
someone is “being made the scapegoat.” In the same way it is said that someone is
“a sacrificial lamb.” There are others, but we think you get the idea.
In fairness, President
Trump appears to be supporting ICE, CBP, and Homeland Security Secretary,
Kristi Noem, in connection with the deaths of two demonstrators in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We hope the President will continue to handle
things fairly, especially since Congress and the press are not.
We all grieve when a
person dies. It is worse when they die at a young age. We grieve for the
decedent’s family, friends, and community. Two of our fellow Americans, Renee
Good and Alex Pretti, have died while protesting our government’s deportation
operations in Minneapolis. It hurts to
see things come to this. It was predictable, due to the volatility of the
situation, but let us pray for the peace that only God can give.
Grandma used to say that
“When you point a finger at someone, three fingers are pointed back at you.”
There is certainly enough blame to go around for the tragedy in Minneapolis. It would be a mistake to blame just one or two
people for the totality of the situation that resulted in the death of American
citizens.
Before we play the blame
game, it might be useful to consider a widely quoted Japanese saying, “Fix the
problem, not to blame.” The responsibility for the loss of life in Minneapolis
may fall on the shoulders of a number of people. We are not advocating that
those responsible should not be held accountable. One thing we learned
investigating cases of child abuse, however, is that it is a mistake to rush to
judgement. Another way of putting it is that we ought not to jump to
conclusions. We must let the investigations into the recent tragic deaths of the
two demonstrators proceed for a
reasonable amount of time, until more facts are known.
That said, events often
will not wait. The situation in Minneapolis needs to be defused to avoid more
death and injury. The responsibility for
that rests upon both sides.
One principle that we have
learned over 25 years of management and supervisory experience is that it is
often a mistake to change personnel and policy on the basis of an isolated
incident(s). Further, when an incident
happens in Minneapolis, it may not be necessary to make changes nationwide, nor
should we abandon the goal of deporting all persons who have illegally entered
and remained in the United States.
Therefore, it is
distressing to see people in Congress and in the press jump on a bandwagon -
demanding that the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, resign, be
dismissed, or be impeached. The tactics of ICE and CBP can be reviewed and
changed. People funding the violent demonstrations can be held accountable. It
is a mistake to make Secretary Noem a scapegoat and then expect the problem to
get fixed by doing so.
Secretary Noem apparently
made public statements that were premature about the incident. We must keep her
overall situation in mind before we accuse her of wrongdoing. She may have been given erroneous information. We won’t know until all the facts are
available. Remember, also, that she has
agents on the ground doing a dangerous and difficult job, and it is important
that they feel supported. It is understandable that she may have been trying to
demonstrate to all federal agents that she “has their back.”
Although the standard, “I
cannot comment while an active investigation is in progress,” would have been preferable,
it does not necessarily mean that what she said was disingenuous. It may mean that she should have waited until
she had a better understanding of the situation before she spoke publicly about
it. We are sure that at some level she
should have known that her political enemies would use anything she might say
against her.
It's probably wishful
thinking to expect that we would see a little more restraint from Congress and
the press, before they call for Kristi Noem to resign or be fired – and especially
before they talk about impeaching her. She
has done a good job so far, and the loss of Kristi Noem’s leadership would be a
great loss the country. People should
try and remember that in November.
The Democrats are
threatening to defund Homeland Security and blocking funding of the
government – again. That is why we absolutely must elect a clear majority of Republicans
or conservatives to the US Senate and House of Representatives in November, and
why President Trump must not reduce that majority by appointing legislators to
work in his administration.
Please pray that God will
heal our land.
