By Cheryl Smith
Everyone has a job, a purpose, a mission, a life. We hope!
In Uvalde, TX, those charged with serving and protecting were said to have been responsible for “systemic failures and egregiously poor decision making.”
Recently, I took some time to reflect on my decades on this earth, recalling whether I had any times of “systemic failures and egregiously poor decision making.”
That human side of me was able to respond honestly and own my discretions, indiscretions, mishaps and flaws; as well as my successes and triumphs.
Fortunately, however; my “systemic failures and egregiously poor decision making” did not result in deaths; as was the case in Uvalde when Salvador Ramos murdered 19 children and two adults.
A report issued by a Texas House of Representative committee was 77 pages long and pointed to 376 law enforcement officers who were at Robb Elementary School on that fateful day.
So many were traumatized by events of that day. There was a lot of explaining and confusion, tears and sorrow. I was surprised to hear that one of the classrooms that the shooter attacked was the same room that he was in as a fourth grader and according to reports, he told of being bullied in that same room.
Since that horrific day, I’ve heard many talk about what they would have done, had they been on the scene in Uvalde.
Which brings me to my truth.
If I woulda, coulda, shoulda sounds good; but doesn’t mean a thing.
Comedian Dick Gregory would tell a joke about a state trooper who stopped a speeder on the highway. The state trooper had some choice words for the driver. He then proceeded to walk around to the passenger side and strike the passenger a few times and when asked why he was hitting the passenger who wasn’t doing or saying anything, the officer replied something to the effect that he “didn’t want them to drive off and five miles down the road the passenger would be saying, ‘man, if he had talked to me like that, I would have…’”
And that is true to form. Everyone talks about what they would have done had they been in a situation and some wouldn’t have done a darned thing!
After all, everyone marched with Dr. Martin Luther King.
Everyone speaks out when someone makes racist jokes at school, work, etc.
Everyone stops a bully in his/her tracks.
Yeah, right!
If only!
The law enforcement officers who were on the scene will have to deal with their own demons regarding their actions and inactions.
And we all, at some time will have to face our own demons; including Salvador Ramos.
It is sad that people continue to die at the hands of the likes of Salvador Ramos. It is even sadder when there is so much wrong in the world and too often folks are silent unless it affects them.
It is time out for only the hit dog hollering.
We need folks to stand up and take an interest in the suffering of others; just as we’d want others to do when we are suffering!
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