Discerning Whitewater

For context, I ask you to watch the following video of the history of Kramerica Industries:

Hard to believe it has been twenty years since Seinfeld.

A few years ago I heard a great bit of wisdom:

“A small act of kindness will always be better than the grandest intention.”

Which takes us to the discussion on August 4th by the Whitewater Common Council and their discussion of an Equal Opportunities Committee and their potential direction of defunding Whitewater Police.

Prior to the meeting, I asked CC Chair Lynn Binnie what was driving the re-organization of this “EO” Committee. I asked him if the Whitewater PD was doing anything, or had done anything that drove the need for re-evaluation. I also asked Binnie what metrics would be measured to show progress with this initiative. Binnie’s response:

“The Council has ultimate responsibility for all City services, and we don’t have to maintain that the PD or any city department has done anything wrong in order for us to initiate a review of their policies/procedures. “

My take on his response …. there really is no valid concern to address. There is no metric as a result.

So what is being addressed?

Seems to me that the metric appears to be how the Common Council feels. Do they feel better about themselves after starting this committee?

Best case scenario to me is this committee wastes lots of taxpayer money, maybe there is some diversity training, and the CC feels better about themselves for this pursuit of worldly admiration. The grandest of intentions.

Worst case scenario is they actually defund our police. This is the worst idea ever. The idea of defunding the Whitewater police is crazy. I have asked Binnie multiple times if he opposes this crazy idea, and he refuses to answer. If he does tell me that he will never defund the police, I will forward that info.

The Whitewater CC has adopted the idea of #8CANTWAIT. This is an organization under the CampaignZero umbrella. Here is it’s co-founder, Brittany Packnett-Cunningham discussing defunding the police:

So what do you do, besides calling your Common Council member and telling them how destructive this policy is:

Do you really want to make the world a better place? Get your hands dirty:

• Read your Bible
• Love your neighbor
• Love your ENEMY, no matter how hard
• Listen to people….
• There are a ZILLION volunteer opportunities…. do the non-political ones
• Seriously… love your enemy

Jesus didn’t come here and form a committee with the Romans, shouting about Roman privilege. He washed his disciples feet. He healed people. He loved even his enemies.

Get your hands dirty.

Don’t know how to get your hands dirty? Take that step of Faith. Email me, and I promise to help you.

Really do something. People aren’t saved by committees. They are saved when someone shows them compassion.

At the 50 minute mark, City Manager Cameron Clapper makes a reference to the current state as the “dark ages”; he goes on to compare this committee, whose inspiration is a woman who badly wants to defund the police, to a bumper sticker he once saw, claiming (and I paraphrase):

What if there were no such thing as global warming, and we made the world a better place for nothing?

Which brings us to the Seinfeld reference… when I heard this comment from the city manager, I thought of Cosmo Kramer:

“You know, Darin, if you would have told me 25 years ago that someday I would be standing here about to solve the world’s energy problems… I would have said you were crazy.”

Crazy is the right word. This Common Council needs to hear from it citizens what a horrible path this is. And maybe Clapper needs to work on something like ketchup and mustard in the same bottle.

Peace OUT.