It seems that the first reaction when something bad happens in a community is to pass a new ordinance or policy to make that action illegal. Why do we always have this knee jerk reaction to solve a problem? Shouldn’t we step back and look at the factors that led to the problem, review the laws that are already on the books to address the issue, and then review how those laws were used to address the problem? If we need to, we can then make changes to address the failure. That seems to make more sense than just piling another ordinance on the heap.
In the case of the recent issues at Rodriquez High School which led to the new Hate Policies, it would seem that civil rights laws and existing policies that the School District already have in place would have been sufficient to have addressed the problems. The real issue is that it takes leadership with the fortitude to address the problem head on and be a force to change the behavior. It appears to me that this where the District may have fallen short. Everyone is so afraid of being held accountable and possibly sued, that they are very hesitant to step up and do the right thing. Many times the people who should step up don’t because they feel that they won’t be supported by management. That’s wrong. If we put people on the front lines to enforce our policies, we need to stand behind them when they do the things we ask.
A recent opinion piece in the newspaper tried to tie this policy in with a laundry list of racial equality issues that seem to have been an issue with the author. I can hear his heartburn and frustration with the way racial issues are handled in the community today. I think that there is great frustration and distrust on both sides of this issue. I continue to hope that as our civilization evolves there will come a time when rather than lashing out at each other because we fear what the other side says and does, we’ll come to the point where we will understand differences and work to accommodate them. We need to strive for a system that finds a way to have everyone succeed and excel. The past is past. To continue to rehash the past 200 years without learning anything or changing anything, isn’t moving the discussion forward. Too many people on both sides continue to point out the differences without acknowledging and building on the things that are being done right. There is a philosophy in management that a good manager needs to find and reward the people doing things right, as well as pointing out the things that need to be changed.
Let’s stop piling laws, one on top of the other. Let’s celebrate the people who do the right thing. And let’s be secure enough to do the right thing, whatever the consequences.
GOOD LUCK
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