He told the guard he had no idea that the $7 lemonade contained alcohol. But when he tried to look at the bottle, the security guard snatched it -- and his son was taken to a ballpark's medical clinic. And then by ambulance to Children Hospital because clinic officials said he reported feeling a little nauseated after drinking about 12 ounces of the drink with a 5 percent alcohol content. But a blood sample detected no trace of it.
Employees of the state's Child Protective Services unit told him that day the intervention was unnecessary but they were just following protocols. An assistant state attorney general said the state had no interest in aggressively pursuing the case, so a juvenile referee agreed to release the child to his mother as long as his father relocated to a hotel. Three days later, the complaint was dismissed and the college professor was allowed to go home.
The ACLU got involved in the case and in 2012 the Michigan legislature passed “Leo’s Law” that addressed some, but not all, of the problems that led to this case.
The story may fall under the category of “the bureaucratization of wrongdoing.” Although everyone involved in the case saw that the father had made an honest mistake and the child was unharmed, “rules are rules” and no one dared to contradict the playbook.
Sister Helen Prejean has described a similar process in the case of capital punishment. A jury in a county court is horrified by a gruesome murder and condemns a man to death despite his known history of insanity. It’s easier than explaining the decision to critics, relatives, and neighbors; and they know the case will be reviewed by a superior court, the conviction will be challenged and the sentence might be overturned. But the superior court also upholds the decision because the man will go to death row where he will wait for several years while defense lawyers stall the execution in hope of commuting the sentence to life in prison. And he might die of natural causes in the meanwhile.
Various non-government agencies will appeal to the governor. But the governor, regardless of his personal opinion, knows his state’s voters want severe punishments; and so he does not commute the sentence; and the man is scheduled for execution.
Specialized pharmacies prepare the “medicine” which has no therapeutic purpose; pharmacists prescribe and prepare the dosage according to the man’s age and weight; and medical doctors administer the fatal dose. But no one at any point takes responsibility for the decision to kill a man. No one can say, "This man was a murderer who deserved to die and I put him to death." Everyone follows the rules, protocols, and standard operating procedures. And a trapped, unarmed old man – someone’s child, brother, father, uncle, friend, classmate – is put to death.
Observers have found a similar process in cases of transgender surgery when a teenager is caught up in a popular hysteria. Teachers, social workers, doctors, pharmacists, counselors, surgeons, and others contribute their small part and the child’s immature impulse goes forward unchallenged. In some states the child’s parents know nothing about the decision and cannot intervene.
Several years ago, a fellow stayed with us in the friary. He wanted to join our community, but after a few days I saw that the drifter wanted only three hots and cot every day for the rest of his life. He talked a good line but had no intention of contributing to the community, nor did he have much to offer. But I said nothing when he entered our seminary. Fortunately, they sent him packing a few weeks later. I was not surprised, but I was disappointed with myself.
The process may be called the bureaucratization of wrongdoing because evil may be too strong a word. Everyone – the bureaucrats – have a part in a bad decision; many of them know it’s a bad decision but say nothing; risk nothing, and let it go forward. Only a few -- if any -- believe it’s the right thing to do.
Why did Adam follow Eve after she ate the forbidden fruit? Although she had broken God’s law, what made him do it? The Bible doesn’t say. Perhaps the Divine Author knew that’s just how we do things; we go along to get along.
So why did Jesus want to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins? He had not sinned; he had never considered sinning, or dreamed of doing it. Sin did not interest or fascinate him, and he felt no impulse toward it. He was perfectly happy to obey God his Father, to be guided by the Holy Spirit, and find satisfaction in sacrificing for others. He did not need to be baptized.
I heard a grade school teacher say of her work, “If I am not acting courageously, I am not doing my job.” That principle, I believe, applies in every profession, career, or job. Whether we’re doing something creative that no one’s thought of before; or just doing the job the way it’s supposed to be done without half-measures and cut corners, we must act with courage.
To be human is to act courageously. It’s not enough to go along and get along. It’s not enough to do as others do. At some point everyone must step out of line, break the chain, sabotage the process.
Jesus courageously chose to share our guilt although he was without sin. Saints and angels, patriarchs and prophets might ask, “Why were you baptized when you did no wrong?” But he would not let our sins come between himself and us, so he chose to be baptized as if he were guilty. He would suffer not only the consequences of our crimes and misdeeds, he would suffer for our cowardice, indifference, shortcuts, for looking the other way, and going along to get along.
Saint Paul explains it this way, “Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree.'” (Gal 3:13)
And “For our sake God made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor 5:21)
As this new year begins, we hope that it will not be more of the same. We hope that something will change, that grace will appear, that a new day will dawn, for the dark night has lasted too long. But, if you want something to change, you have to change something.
We must look for opportunities, those right moments when the right words and the right actions come together, and we are the ones who decide and do the right thing.
