It is disheartening to see the phenomenon of hate embraced by so many people who don't understand the origin, meaning, or impact. To grasp the significance, you must first understand what it means. It is an intense, deep-seated emotional response of strong dislike,...
MAJOR BEN’S ARTICLES
Below is a list of articles by Major Ben Brooks that have appeared in the Times Herald.
Daddy, What Time Will You Be Home Tonight?
Every family member asks this question daily. I wonder how many leaders realize the gravity of that question for their officers. When they get up in the morning, they have quiet time with their family before embarking on, hopefully, another routine day at the office....
Leaks
A leak is an unintended hole, crack, or fault that allows a substance- such as a liquid, gas, or light- to escape or enter a container or system. As a child growing up in the rural South, I watched my father build his own home. At that time, he installed a tin roof....
Masks and Officer Safety
As a career law enforcement officer, I am perplexed by the recent debate over officers wearing masks. Everything I learned about law enforcement involved honesty, integrity, and, most of all, transparency. The federal government has a duty to present law enforcement...
Bias Understood
As an international speaker, trainer, and consultant, I have been intrigued by the lack of understanding of various terms, with people using them without knowing their meanings or applications. At one of my National Speakers Association conferences, a presenter shared...
Fear and Bias as a Law Enforcement Blind Spot
Fear – an unpleasant feeling triggered by the perception of danger real or imagined. Origin - past experiences (0-6) History - nomadic days (fight or flight) Survival function - to protect us, triggered by a significant event, i.e., hot, cold, wet, trauma Source: New...
DEI America’s Biggest Blind Spot
In 2016, I took a course with AARP in defensive driving. Having been driving since I was sixteen, I was curious about what the instructor could teach me. I signed up for the course to get a discount on my car insurance. As the instructor went through his orientation,...
The Reality of Community Policing
Many police executives approached community-oriented policing with a great deal of skepticism because they didn’t realize the critical role that the community plays in their success. Many felt they could do it on their own. Dr. Lee Brown, a former police commissioner...
A Practical Approach to Addressing School Shootings
After Columbine, over four hundred school shootings were reported in America. Every citizen should be outraged that our society has allowed that to happen. Schools should be the safest place in our community for our students, staff, and teachers. It is challenging to...
A Nation Of Cowards
Former Atty. Gen. Eric Holder once said that America is a nation of cowards and he received a great deal of pushback for his statement. As I listened to his pronouncement, I wondered what was the concern about his statement. America has always had an issue with...
DEI, The Latest Bogeyman
By Major Ben Brooks
DEI is the latest catchphrase that is the catalyst for the present state of the divided states of America. We raise and salute the flag as we recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America.
As patriotic as that sounds, it is far from our day-to-day reality. The public discourse is constantly hammering away at eliminating all vestiges of DEI initiatives. The vigor with which this is pursued is consistent with the embedded fear of the changing landscape of America.
It is disheartening to see so many companies falling prey to the constant bombardment of the evils of DEI as a movement that disenfranchises the ruling majority of the country. Politicians have discovered that as a wedge issue, they will retain their political power. Unfortunately, many businesses and organizations have succumbed to the influence of the political narrative.
As a result, panic and uncertainty impact their decision to conform to the narrative they feel ensures their survival. Consequently, they overlook the economic reality of inclusion for their respective businesses. Losing power takes precedence over that reality which satisfies a political agenda. Businesses and organizations have learned over the years that their economic success has been linked to embracing the DEI phenomenon.
DEI professionals are panicking as organizations like Walmart are publicly bowing to political pressure, declaring they are discontinuing their efforts to embrace DEI. The mere mentioning of the term causes panic among those whose lives depend on delivering related programs.
I anticipated the draconian movement by those who feared emphasizing economic realities of business growth by changing the name of my presentation from DEI focus to addressing leadership blind spots. Blind spots include references without focusing on DEI. The concepts are still the same. Organizations will continue to thrive if they keep their eyes on the economic prize of survival, instead of succumbing to political bogeyman tactics.
My advice to everyone in the business of DEI-related initiatives is to not panic. It requires us to recalibrate to continue bringing quality consulting advice to organizations that want to remain profitable.