In life, there Must be consequences for our actions, including the things that we do, and the things that we say, whether good or bad, positive, or negative. If there were no consequences or accountability, those actions would have little to no meaning at all. When we succeed, we want to be celebrated, we want to be recognized and acknowledged for our success. The recognition of our successes and accomplishments can propel us to even greater achievement or can help to build a more solid foundation for further success. Likewise, when we fail to achieve something or our actions cause tremendous harm, damage, or even death whether that harm was conscious or unconscious, intentional, or not, we MUST be held responsible for our actions, our words, and our deeds.
Parents, teachers, coaches, spiritual and community leaders spend a lifetime teaching children, young people, and others the “life skill” and principle of taking responsibility for your thoughts, words, and deeds. And yet, here we are living in a time where the failure of leadership and the institutions we have all been taught to revere and hold in the highest esteem have been epically failing to take responsibility for both their actions or inaction, and for their Failures.
Again, we see that the ones who control the narrative will inevitably rewrite the history of events while simultaneously redirecting the responsibility for the fundamental failure of both leadership and institutions to some non-human and elusive byline like “the Systemic Institutional Failures” are what caused the deaths of 19 innocent children and 2 of their teachers in Uvalde, Texas. What is, in fact true, is that over 400 heavily armed, highly trained and experienced law enforcement officers from multiple branches of state, local and federal law enforcement stood by and did nothing for more than an hour and 17 minutes, while a lone 18 year-old gunman armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, which he had no training or experience in using, paralyzed ALL law enforcement officers on the scene, and their leadership. The tragedy here is one of Epic Failure and dereliction of the sworn oaths of duty to “Protect and Serve.”
The initial report (as is true for many such reports) was completely impotent and ineffective and served only to create more confusion around exactly who was responsible? What is even more urgent is, what will be the consequences? Rather than clarifying anything, the “Report on the Uvalde Massacre” held NO ONE responsible for the multiple failures of Leadership and Law Enforcement. The report made NO recommendations or suggestions that would create ANY change or accountability within the institutions and systems that failed the children, families and the community of Uvalde, Texas.
Without accountability and without the leadership of each of the institutional entities involved in the civic, state, and federal protection of our children, cities, and our communities NOTHING will Change! Accountability means that there MUST be an assignment of responsibility. Our elected leaders such as governors, mayors, police chiefs, etc. are responsible to The People who have given them the Privilege of Leadership. “To whom much is given, much is required!” As a Leader, you have been given the responsibility to LEAD. The epic failure of even the most fundamental leadership in Uvalde is horrific and largely responsible for the multiple deaths of unarmed little children and adult citizens. People died while law enforcement stood by and did not employ the extensive training, experience, and fire power that they had at their disposal. Wounded children were allowed to bleed out and die when the possibility that they could have been saved was very probable.
Laws, systems, policies, and practice when they are violated by those who are directly responsible for their implementation and enforcement is so egregious that it cannot be allowed to stand unaddressed. Our nation is currently experiencing a lack of accountability and responsibility in national leadership. All the evidence and testimony suggest beyond any reasonable doubt that within the highest levels of leadership, including the POTUS, our nation’s seat of democracy was attacked, and a handful of people attempted an insurrection to overthrow the United States Government. If the leaders and those who planned, aided and abetted this “Attempted Coup” are not held to account for their actions, the future of our democracy and our nation are in extreme peril.
