Standing in a hole? First, stop digging…
Published 7:38 pm Friday, January 12, 2018
Port Arthur City Council members stepped into a smoldering pile of unpleasantness this week, courtesy of a video that spread like wildfire on social media.
Then they made things worse.
The problem’s source was a Jan. 6 wreck scene at the intersection of Memorial Boulevard near 19th Street. There, Councilman Thomas Kinlaw III’s daughter was involved in a nighttime wreck.
Kinlaw, understandably shaken by the circumstances, became an instant video topic around Port Arthur and beyond by his unfortunate words and actions from the moment he stepped out of his truck. He parked in the middle of the investigation scene, refused to move, seemed to berate and threaten nearby first-responders and behaved in a way that did him no credit.
No one can blame a dad for his understandable worry when his child is hurt. Wreck scenes can present a sense of frenzy and can exacerbate concerns, too.
But first-responders seemed to perform like professionals on the video that eventually made its way to the wider public. Conversely, Kinlaw seemed to toss his political weight around at the scene. His words seemed to demean the well-intentioned professionals who were trying to restore order on a dark, busy street, investigating the cause of the collision, and tending to the needs of Kinlaw’s child.
Worse, Councilman Willie “Bae” Lewis, asked later about Kinlaw’s words and actions that night, seemed to suggest that police officers should have treated Kinlaw differently than mere ordinary citizens — we mere mortals — because of his political position. Such a position is exactly wrong.
“There’s no reason for officers to not know who are the elected officials,” Lewis said. “They see us at City Hall. We’re highly visible.”
If Lewis was worried that the City Council’s profile was too low, he needn’t worry any longer. Everyone, it seems, has seen the video. Or read his comments. Nobody seems too happy.
Just a few perspectives:
- The councilman’s child is doing well. For this, we are grateful.
- Kinlaw has apologized to the police chief and fire chief. (But not the individuals.)
- Kinlaw said that given the chance, he would do things differently. That shows wisdom.
Osman Swati, District 6 councilman, has made the useful suggestion that the council seek counsel, that the members discuss education and ethics, individually and as a body. That would suggest some sense of humility among council members — humility is good for everyone — and send a clear signal to first-responders and the public that they know what happened was wrong.
Three more suggestions, offered for free:
- Leadership requires grace under stress. Exercise it.
- When you needlessly offend others, start your next sentence with these five words: “I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
- When you’re standing in a deep hole, stop digging.