Virginia Tech: Is leadership extinct in America?

Is leadership extinct in America?

Let me bring to mind several recent critical events:

911
Hurricane Katrina Virginia Tech

What these three events have in common is the absence of leadership when leadership was the primary element needed.

The US government including President George W. Bush and
military and intelligence agencies were ineffective and
useless for an excruciatingly long period of time when
our country faced critical event of 911. There is no
question about that fact regardless of what you believe
to be the underlying cause of 911.

Hurricane Katrina was a second example of lack
of leadership. Absence of leadership there is inexcusable
since hurricanes are predicable and anticipated in that
region. Further, it had long been known in the engineering
community that the levies were subject to failure. Statement
to that effect are part of the public record.

Virginia Tech. What can be said?
This discussion is not a blame game, it's
merely a look at the inexcusable lack of
leadership at a critical time.

Virginia Tech is a large institution that is not too far
from CIA headquarters and Washington DC, by today's
standards. One would assume a greater awareness of potential
terrorism at such a location. The leadership being referred
to is both Virginia Tech Administration as well as
the law enforcement agencies responding to the wholesale
killing and wounding of students by an armed gunman who was
not in custody or accounted for.

It is incomprehensible that one person who created such human
carnage would be free to return within hours and continue
the same acts of violence and murder.

This is even more disturbing considering this act of domestic
terrorism place post 911. Post 911 law enforcement and civilian
leaders have been infused with federal funds and uncountable
training projects for such a time as that.

Many civilians wake up each morning and go about their day
assuming that someone is in charge of all things. We have a
degree of belief that the persons in charge of whatever they
are in charge of will be responsive and competent should their
leadership be needed. This is not the assumption intelligent
civilians should make.

The reality that we see is that when a critical need arises
requiring leadership, the people designated to assume those
responsiblities do not perform. This results in excessive
and unnecessary consequences in a situation that could have
concluded in a much better outcome.

Some people do not actually know what leadership is because
they have not seen actually seen it in their lifetimes.
That is one of a number of great american tragedies.

In the wake of these many incidences, we see backlash that is
equally ineffective.

Example: reactionary proposals for legislation and the creation of
ineffective government programs.

In the absence of leadership, those craving it and relying on it
easily confuse leadership with authoritarian control. This is a
lethal error. We have seen this mistake following 911.
It can be seen in the tolerace for the NSA's covert investigation
of civilians without probable cause and the CIA's kidnapping of
world citizens for transport to non-US locations where they are
subjected to treatment that violates our own laws and moral
standards. We see this also in the questionable housing of uncharged
people in Guantanamo Bay who are denied any form of due process
and where consistent allegations of torture stream out from most
sources.

These are example of very bad changes made following a traumatic
event. Such changes are accepted as necessary corrections of the
original deficiency. The original incident passes, but the bad
decisions made afterwards continue on indefinitely.

United States citizen have quietly watched the amputation of parts
of the Constitution. Is it acceptable to so many people because
they weren't using all of their Constitutional rights anyway?

In the aftermath if Virgina Tech, there the expected harmony of
voices seeking crescendo for "gun control!" Gun control would not
have prevented the Virginia Tech disaster, it only would have
changed the perpetrator's methodology. We must be insightful
enough in this country to recognize the consequences that
result from the failures of leadership as the single greatest
factor in the scope of the disaster. It is counter-productive
to rush to implement changes that would correct a problem
only in retrospect. We cannot change the past;
we can only move forward more wisely from it.

We need to take a serious look at what our beliefs are in this
country in regards to safety, protection, leadership, and social
responsibility.

Further, as we see the consequences of the absence of leadership
in America during critical times, do not be mislead into believing
that a "global" government of any kind has anything to offer.
The UN is an example of ineffective greed.

Further, if we can't rise to the occasion at the local or regional
or national levels given all of our resources, how can you believe
that giving even greater responsibilities to even fewer people will
produce any better results?

The bottom line for the intelligent civilian is to realize that we
must be more prepared to take care of ourselves and our immediate
circumstances.

We need to prepare ourselves individually for unexpected events.
That preparation may also include developing leadership skills
in ourselves to fill in the voids of leadership that we will likely
encounter in times of emergency. This is quite different that
vigilantism. I am suggesting only individual preparedness which
would enable us to serve the public interest in a law abiding
manner in times of emergency. However, we have been shaped over
the decades to live like defenseless sheep relying on government
and systems for our own safety, welfare, and even our survival.


Perhaps is time for citizens to let go of the unrealistic
expectations that those charged with the responsibility for our
public and private welfare are competent and will be useful
in times of crisis.

There are exceptions to the patterns of failure of leadership,
but there are not enough good examples for us to rest
comfortably at night trusting that there will be someone
there to handle matters properly for us.

We need to acknowledge positive examples of leadership in action
during critical times and internalize those skills within ourselves
at the least. At best, perhaps it is time to consider placing
yourself in greater positions of authority in various ways to
restore leadership in this country.

It remains to be seen whether leadership is extinct in America,
or whether it has just gone missing.

The answer to that question will not be found within political
leaders, corporate directors, institutional administrators,
or law enforcement. The answer to that lies within the character
and preparedness of the American citizen.