Quadrants of Morality

In State of Fear, Michael Crichton says that there are four ways of doing things. Understanding this forever changed me, and the way I look at life and understand people.

Tonight, there’s a council meeting. At the special meeting, Four of the council members, along with the City Manager and City Attorney tried very hard to prevent the public from having a say before today’s meeting. Now tonight’s meeting as been changed to “Virtual Only.”

It’s harder for the unhoused, an already vulnerable population, to access the internet. They also have a habit of “accidentally” turning off services at the Municipal Building when social justice is happening. I won’t be at all surprised if advocates working to give the homeless a voice find themselves without internet access.

The cops steal the belongings left behind if a person has to leave them to access a resource. This is cruelty.

Below, I’m sharing the comment I prepared for tonight’s meeting. I’ve signed up online, and we’ll just have to see if I get to speak.

This takes all of us.

My comment is general as it pertains to everything this City council does.

I simply seek to remind the council, that there are 4 quadrants of morality. The right thing for the right reason, the right thing for the wrong reason, the wrong thing for the right reason, and the wrong thing for the wrong reason.

When we do the right things for the right reasons, we solve problems, innovate, heal, create opportunities and improve lives for everyone. Great examples include Jane Goodall, and Fred Rogers.

When we do the right thing for the wrong reason it shows up as credit seeking, big promises with no follow through. It sounds like, “I’ve been pushing to solve this problem for 8 years now,” and “I’m working on it, I just can’t tell you about it, but it’s happening.”

When we do the wrong thing for the right reasons, it’s usually the best of intentions that need guidance or education. This looks like initiatives that leave gaps, or being willing to problem solve, but unable to maneuver.

Lastly, when we do the wrong thing for the wrong reason, problems not only persist, but they also get bigger. This shows up as blame shifting, finger pointing, and deflection. It’s silencing constituents and inhibiting their ability to participate in this process.

I just want to make sure that the council knows the lens through which they are being studied, and made visible to the world. The problems facing the loveland community are all solvable, but we have to INTEND to solve them. Intention matters, and it’s obvious.

Oh, I want to add one more name to that list of people doing the right thing for the right reasons. Jacki Marsh, we see you choosing your community. It matters. I stand with you.