The quiet part out loud

What happens when you have entrusted someone to take good care of what is most precious to you? This question seems simple enough, whether that is a person, place or possession, the foundational point of allowing someone to have temporary authority is that the necessary actions to meet the needs would be met. In thinking about this, it is truly amazing how often violations of this type of trust occurs.

There are organizations and people such as, schools and teachers, recreation centers and coaches, hospitals and doctors etc., that present a reasonable expectation that they should be trusted to do what they say they do. All of these areas are made up of individuals who have met some standard of competency to be able and available. When this level of competency is not met, the betrayal of trust is like a high-speed car crash that throws the vehicle and driver spinning out and landing in a ditch. You end up dazed and confused, bewildered and injured while trying to figure out what to do.

It is not unreasonable to expect your child, your athlete, or your patient to be cared for, supported, helped and valued. There are increasing numbers that show a rise in the incidents of people who do not care for others the same way you do. The Department of Justice has reported an increase in hate crimes by 11.6% in its latest data. The Center for Disease Control says that racism in healthcare negatively affects the physical and mental health of millions of people, contributing to lower life expectancies and increases in infant mortality rates. Hate by itself may not be a crime but it is an expression of a person who does not feel about your loved one the way you do.

Recent news of a former educator and coach in this community has exposed some of the ugliness that lives right around us. It does not mean that it is the dominant school of thought in this area, but it is a school of thought that walks with us, shops with us, goes to school with us, goes to church with us, teaches us, trains us, and serves us. The larger part of our community does not feel the way that this loud minority of hateful people with hateful voices do. The voices of the larger part of our community should be heard. Edmund Burke is often credited with the expression that says, “Evil prevails when good men do nothing.”

Those who hear the language of hate and say nothing contribute to the spread of hate. The quiet part out loud should be that those who care for others should speak up and speak out against allowing hate to be the dominant attribute of this, or any, community.

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