Scapegoating

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.