Friday, September 14, 2012

PROBLEM SOLVED

Frustrated people in your midst? Fed-up folk sulking around? Angry friends or family constantly complaining? Maybe they didn't start out that way. Perhaps they used to have faith in systems. Perhaps they used to live by established rules and procedures. Perhaps they were never wave makers. Then they had a problem that wouldn't go away; an issue that seemed to be one that would take no time to fix. They didn't take matters into their own hands. They reached out to every agency that is supposedly designated to handle their particular issue. They respected chains of command and got nowhere. They proposed what seemed to be rational ideas and were shot down. There was always someone or some entity calling for their continued patience and understanding, or to make matters worse, trying to convince them that the problem really wasn't "that bad". It was usually someone who, if the tables were turned, wouldn't have dealt with the issue for one day, let alone months or years. There was always someone pleading that there's a better way, but they didn't provide a map, just discouragement, especially when it seems like solutions were being found. The problem persisted or got worse and still nothing was done about it. Proper channels were tried again and again, and then, the phrase known to transform Mild-mannered Citizen into Crazed Tornado Man was uttered: "There's nothing we can do." The only way to handle the problem was, not to address the person or entity causing it, and not to handle it themselves, but to inconvenience themselves, incur expense, or just learn to live with it.

No. It's not that "there's nothing that can be done". Yes, there may be legal, even compassion-based ramifications, but "nothing" is usually a lie. Someone or something is being a deliberate hindrance. Someone or something is benefiting from the existence of the problem. The nuisance is serving as an advantage to someone or something. Often, there's nothing that someone or something can, chooses, or wants to do because they either don't care, or the issue is not directly affecting them or their family. Something CAN be done, but the incentive to do it is missing in action.
Hindering progress, minimizing the suffering of others, and displaying disgust when problems are solved are signs that there was never an intention to remedy a problem in the first place. Some things are allowed to go to pot. Someone is hoping, even banking, that others will simply give up.

Is turning to social networking sites and putting people and entities on blast for their inaction the only way to get problems solved these days? Seems like it. It's amazing how quickly things get done when inefficiency, neglect and carelessness is exposed for millions to see.
When it shows up on twitter or facebook, it's difficult to ignore. When the right pair of eyes read about it, express disgust, ask, "Why?" or "Why not?", it's fascinating to see how promptly systems work toward solving problems that have been lingering for a long time.

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