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Tuesday, April 17, 2007

They MUST Blame Someone

It only took a few hours for the news media to start attacking the Virginia Tech administration for the delay in warning people about the shooter. My years working for FEMA (back when FEMA worked) taught me that people absolutely must have someone to blame, even for “acts of God” or serious lapses in personal responsibility.

I submit that blaming the administration for the delay is a rabbit trail. To find blame, look in the mirror.


Too many of us deny the reality of mental illness. We treat it as a character flaw, a lack of self control. When mental illness is recognized, finding treatment is a monumental challenge. Health insurance companies say that mandating parity in mental health and physical health coverage prices people out of insurance. "Taxpayers" won't "waste" money on Medicaid, so doctors can't afford to take on Medicaid patients. Hospitals resent mentally ill individuals who show up in their ERs. Well, how much money do you think mental illness costs? Lost work produtivity. Family violence. Police time. Jails. Courts. Prisons. We pay for mental illness, one way or another. Why not pay before it causes so much havoc?

This is my personal crusade: putting mental illness into the “mother’s handbook.” We know how to recognize and treat chicken pox, dislocated soccer toes and migraine headaches. Why don’t we include mental illness in our handbook? I remember when it just wasn’t done to admit there was cancer in the family. That’s where we are with mental illness now.

Mental illness is painful—just as painful as a broken leg or laceration. Would we deny the existence of those maladies? No! Why not? Just because we can see it and we “know” about it?

Until we as a society diagnose, fund and treat mental illness, tragedies such as the Virginia Tech massacre will continue to happen. The first rule of crisis management: The best crisis management is crisis avoidance!

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10:17 PM | 3 comment(s)

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Imus is Not the Only Villain

As a feminist, my first reaction to the Imus incident was anger. Then as a crisis manager I pondered how to advise him on handling the situation. Watching his endless pandering to self-appointed “leaders” got old quickly. Even worse was the continuous loop replaying of his unspeakable screw-up. The mistakes just go on and on.

First, Imus and his producer got carried away with their bad behavior. Then they didn’t take it seriously enough and let too much pressure build up before beginning the groveling. News stations endlessly repeated the very words they condemned. Imus made the de rigueur appearance to grovel on the Rev. Al Sharpton’s show, but it was apparent there was no forgiveness there. The National Association of Black Journalists, who should be defending the First Amendment, called for Imus’ resignation. We met some of the young women Imus insulted and learned what extraordinarily admirable people they and their coach are. As offensive as Imus’ words are, they are by no means the worst thing he ever said. Besides, they could be “opinion” and therefore not illegal.

Can we all agree that what Imus said was intolerable? Can we agree that he does lots of good things with his money? Can we agree that powerful individuals we admire considered it a coup to be on his show? And can we agree that the true villains are those who listened to his show and gave the advertisers a reason to pay him big bucks?

So, get angry at Imus if you will. But take a look at the bigger problem of runaway radio opinion shows, and in particular, the people who listen to them. As Pogo said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Through all of this, I detect something really wonderful. The pendulum is swinging away from juvenile, even vicious public commentary. It’s not funny any more to take verbal swings at women or minorities. Good manners may actually be making a comeback!


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12:31 AM | 1 comment(s)