9/14/09
There's not enough whiskey in Texas to make me forget what I heard today -- the most sickening released sex offender story I've heard in over a week. Sad that I have to say "the most sickening", since we have so many of his type released into society these days, and they inevitably offend again. The only silver lining to this story is that Mark Hourigan and his mentor have gotten their mugs on TV, so maybe his neighbors (I mean those outside his church) will recognize him.
Hourigan, a convicted sex offender, has “served his time” and been ordained as a Christian minister at the City of Refuge Church in Germantown, Kentucky. He's giving TV interviews, eyes welling up on cue, recounting how he changed his ways, paid his debt to society, and is now ready to serve God as a minister, thanks to the "forgiveness" of many good people (he didn't mention his only known victim, a boy just 11 years old at the time). Hourigan says he aims to "give hope" to other criminals (sufferers of pedophilia?) and make them see that there is forgiveness for their sins. I wish I could personally explain the meaning of "suffering" to this self-deluding jackass, but someone bigger and angrier (maybe the victim himself, if grown by now) will surely beat me to it.
Someone needs to remind Hourigan (and any psychobabbling idiot defending him) that pedophilia isn’t an affliction like cancer. Some people with that perversion manage to resist their urges, and it’s only a crime if you act on them, as he did. Getting caught—now that’s what he’s sorry for. He didn't claim to be insane when he did it, so what was he, exactly? Mistaken? No, he did it knowing it was wrong, and was sane enough to conceal it, and probably other offenses we'll never know of. So, why did he get credit for "good behavior" in prison, where his victim of choice was simply unavailable? Smokers aren't "cured" when they don't have access to tobacco, so what makes anyone think that incarceration cures sickos like Hourigan? If anything, it probably makes them yearn for their victims even more.
As we approach the highest holy day of Judaism, Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), I am obliged to examine my conscience and ask myself if I have done anything, consciously or unconsciously, to hurt anyone—and to ask forgiveness for it in person, if possible. I was taught that true atonement entails much more than this, though. And, there may indeed be some wrongs, as in Hourigan's case, for which no adequate repair is really possible.
Mark Hourigan shouldn’t even dream of forgiveness until he atones, by 1. taking Responsibility for his deeds (not blame it on his “illness”), 2. Repenting (genuinely), 3. Repairing the harm he did (as if that’s even possible) and 4. Returning to a state of grace (impossible without the preceding three). Has he attempted any of this? Doubtful. Shopping his story to the media with the all the modesty of a lingerie model on a catwalk is the only evidence I need that he isn't contrite...and hasn’t repented.
Hourigan's victim will surely be re-victimized by seeing his abuser on TV, and his suffering is worse than any prison sentence Hourigan could have served. In this case, the offender can't fix what he broke, even if he paid for his victim's therapy by busting rocks in prison for the rest of his miserable life.
But, with the respectable mantle of the ministry, he’ll have better opportunities to abuse kids, with nothing but an ineffective sex offender registry policy to hinder him. Our prison system often returns a worse sex offender to society than the one initially incarcerated. They are (for the most part) incurable, but they could be quarantined to protect us and our children. We do that much with lepers and imported livestock.
Since that won’t happen to “Reverend” Hourigan, unless he gets caught again, let me unofficially declare "open season" on him. Some ancient tribes had an effective way of dealing with such an evildoer — if allowed to live at all, he’d be "shunned"—cut off from anyone who would offer him assistance, shelter, food, tools or weapons. He might even be forced into the desert to meet his demise. In Hourigan’s case, the press could (in a similar vein) hound this "church" relentlessly until it was forced to shun him. Hourigan's type of criminal usually abuses more than one child, on more than one occasion, before getting caught. If that doesn’t put a person beyond the pale, folks, nothing does.
Members of the church that condoned this unspeakable idiocy should resign from it, unless and until it turns this monster out. I doubt that their Savior would require them to accept the false repentance of this smirking scumbag, who has been merely spit-shined to appear respectable. If a convicted felon can't even hold elected office in this country, shouldn't he be universally ineligible for the clergy, where he might have unquestioned access to more victims?
I count many good Christians among my friends and family, and I don’t think any of them hold the belief that "forgiveness" means ignoring the past deeds of a criminal who remains a serious threat to any child within his grasp. This type of criminal even makes me long for the (sometimes) draconian justice of some middle-eastern Muslim communities. If they'd cut off the hand of a thief, just imagine what swift and apt justice they'd mete out to the likes of Hourigan.
Ignoring what we know about sex offenders, and allowing them any chance to repeat their crimes, especially against children, is far worse than withholding "forgiveness" from someone who hasn't earned it. Any tribunal—whether political, military or ecumenical—that doesn't expose and effectively punish proven sex offenders immediately, shares their guilt.
Mark Hourigan would get no attention at all without his type of crime. He'd be merely one more conman who found salvation behind bars. But, because of the particularly heinous nature of his crimes, he should get the "shunning" he’s due–and be swiftly kicked off the media train before he can secure a book deal–or even a paycheck for his "ministry".
I think Abraham, Jesus and Mohammad would all agree on that.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
The Myth of "Team Building" at the Office
Have you ever had a "Team Building" event at your office? More often than not, it's a "warm fuzzy" to make the bad executives feel better about spending tons of money on consultants, while continuing to abuse the staffers who are actually doing the real work. Good companies rarely do them. They give raises, instead, and hold company picnics, because they enjoy each others' company outside of the office.
Years ago, when I believed I was working for the most dysfunctional company in the free world, I wrote a little list of analogies based on the characters in Frank L. Baum's classic tale (which was a political analogy in itself).
"THE WIZARD OF ODDZ "
Question: Can you spot any of these characters in the organization where you work? (Feel free to reply, no matter who you are. This is an open forum, so you should protect your identity against the wrath of supervisors who may recognize themselves.)
The Tornado: The tornado upset Dorothy’s peaceful existence, destroyed part of it, and sent her on a difficult path (the yellow brick road) of self-discovery. This path had stumbling blocks and villains that hindered her progress, but it ultimately provided a good education. The tornado is a metaphor for anything that can devastate a company, or simply whittle away at morale. It could be a reorganization, the loss of competent employees or top clients, a stock market crash, mismanagement, or miscommunication. It doesn't have to be big or threatening if what it's trying to destroy is already weak. It can sink the boat if everyone isn’t rowing (or bailing) together.
Auntie Em: A good worker who is just overwhelmed by her responsibilities. Slackers and incompetent managers heap work on her because she’s one capable person surrounded by poor planners and elitists. She's had to stifle her natural creativity, because so much grunt work is given to her. She obeys company policy and all industry rules, but can’t stand up to Miss Gulch. Without a decent salary or benefits, she has no real reason to stay, so she will be the first one to jump ship when an opportunity arises. Her main problem is that Miss Gulch keeps her too busy with weekend assignments to spend time with her kids or look for another job.
Toto: He’s a metaphor for what we all care about – the people or things for which we'd risk or sacrifice anything. It's the only good reason to continue working for a company we can't really believe in.
Uncle Henry: Basically a decent person, he’s in a department that isn’t making any money, and he can’t figure out why. He's worried that the company isn't getting many contracts, even though their bids are sometimes lowest. He senses the company is getting a bad reputation, but stays, mostly by default, because they haven't invested in his professional development. Unable to compete in the current job market, he's still too young to retire.
Miss Gulch: Jealous of anyone with a life outside the office, she’s determined to ruin their off-time. She secretly rejoices at the failures of others, but is not above stealing their ideas. Without much relevant experience in the industry she's in, she has no idea how to help advance the company. Her staff watches her waste tons of money on self-aggrandizing PR, while all their PCs malfunction and need replacing. Vendors on her approved list, despite frequently delivering substandard work. Emergency projects are the norm, because she doesn't plan ahead. After scanning industry publications for buzzwords, she uses them so often that Uncle Henry's field hands created a drinking game based on it. Bicycling home one dark Friday night after Happy Hour, she was run off the road by a car driven by her assistant, who hastily buried her behind the Gales' out-house. Toto now takes his morning dump there. After a decent interval, her property was auctioned off by the county, which eventually funded Dorothy's revamping of the farm.
Dorothy: A True Believer, she recognizes potential in others, expects everyone to be ethical, and trusts people until she’s proven wrong (and sometimes even afterwards). She’ll do her best to diagnose and solve problems, even in unfamiliar territory. She was dropped into Oddz and is doing her best to get her friends' needs met. Maybe there’s nothing in that black bag for her, but she isn’t afraid to challenge the Wizard when he's abusive. She was so glad to get out of Oddz that she didn't even mind facing Miss Gulch again, but she'd already disappeared.
The Scarecrow: He thinks he isn’t smart, but he has a unique insight -- he was able to manipulate the talking trees into throwing a few of their apples when Dorothy got hungry. This was unfairly seen as brown-nosing by his co-workers, but it had the desired effect. He’s loyal to a fault, and will defend others, even at his own peril. His vulnerability is his straw (his trusting nature). His lack of confidence in himself means that he doesn’t get any respect from the crows in his department. He’d been hanging on that nail in the field for years, not aspiring to do anything more, until Dorothy came along and asked directions. He rose to the challenge, dared to invite himself along on her journey, and ended up finding a new career.
The Tin Man: He thinks he has no heart, but he's just dogmatic. Not very flexible, he can get stuck in a rut very easily, but he's willing to learn. He knows he'll rust if doesn't keep his sense of humor handy. His special talent is his ax, which gets him out of most crises, but he knows there are more subtle and effective management methods to be learned. He gets stuck most often when the company won't let him invest in more progressive equipment and training.
The Cowardly Lion: He isn't cowardly, but he's never been given a challenge worthy of his talents. His true nature emerged when he admitted to his shortcomings and asked for help, then began looking for a company he could believe in. He used to believe that strength was shown by being a bully, but now he despises oppression in all its forms. He's ready to work for a company that will value his leadership skills.
Glinda, the Good Witch: The best manager in the company, she is beloved and trusted by the Munchkins. She protects them, gives them confidence, recognizes their strengths, and isn’t threatened by their talents. Knowing they are capable, she doesn’t micro-manage, but gives them good directions and gets out of their way, only reappearing when they need a pep talk. She laughs at the Wicked Witch because she recognizes a true coward in action.
The Munchkins: They get along very well in their individual and team roles, until the Wicked Witch shows up. They are initially wary of strangers, because they've seen more than one Wicked Witch come and go, but they trust Glinda’s judgment, and are very helpful to new hires. They are grateful to Dorothy, who solved their main crisis without even trying.
The Wicked Witch of the West: She’s your worst nightmare, and the most difficult to change, because she’s comfortable with the status quo. Ruling by intimidation, she bullies everyone, and plays upon their deepest fears. She slyly discovers the personal vulnerabilities of her staff, and stores them up like ammunition, but carefully guards her own, trusting no one. She covets the unique power of the ruby slippers and will do anything, or betray anyone, to get them. Once her sister (he Witch of the East) was dead, she saw them as her right. She pretends to blame Dorothy for landing a house on her sister, but the truth is, she saw the house falling and pushed her sister underneath it. She knows she isn’t qualified to be the top witch, having been promoted to the position only by default. The soldiers are so sick of her that they keep a bucket of water in the tower, presumably for the flying monkeys, hoping she'll spill it on herself.
The flying monkeys: They are the drones of the operation. They have no original ideas, no ethics, and can be bought by the highest bidder. They do the Wicked Witch’s bidding only because they couldn’t get jobs anywhere else. They never operate as individuals, and only feel powerful when they can gang up on someone weaker. The Witch got control of them by giving them titles and positions they hadn't earned, but hired others to do the real work. If she hadn't rendered them helpless, they would’ve gone elsewhere and become truly qualified.
Now that the Wicked Witch has been melted, they'll lay around the castle for awhile and collect unemployment until they're evicted by the IRS who's selling the place to cover back taxes. They will be easily persuaded to take out high interest loans and enter a multilevel marketing business, but will quickly go bankrupt.
The soldiers in the Witch’s castle: Better than the flying monkeys, they stay primarily because they recognize a good manager when they see one, and want to see things improve. They weren’t quite brave enough to speak their minds when the Witch was around, but they are terribly grateful to Dorothy for getting rid of her. The good king at the neighboring castle is already trying to recruit them, but they truly have hope for the company now that a competent manager can be hired.
The Water: Honesty and exposure. Dorothy came into the dysfunctional company (Oddz), realized what the problem was, and tossed out some fresh new ideas, which turned out to be beneficial for everyone.
The Wizard: He wasn't really happy with his management style, but didn't know how to be more effective. He used to blame others when a project fell through, but he eventually admitted he had used the wrong tactics. He now knows he can’t force anyone to do his bidding; he can only achieve his aims by earning his staff's respect and loyalty by doing the right thing. This he did by helping develop their potential, not just for the company, but for their own personal betterment. Too bad this only happened when Toto pulled back the curtain, but at least it happened. The Wizard is fascinated by Dorothy's potential, and secretly acknowledges that she's the real rainmaker in the company. If he can get her on his team, he can finally become what he longs to be.
The black bag: It holds the rewards of encouragement, recognition, merit raises and earned promotions. Some people know there isn’t anything in the black bag for them. At a dysfunctional company, they observe others getting credit for their ideas or a select few getting recognized and rewarded. Calling attention to this will only earn a reputation as a trouble-maker, so they won't often rock the boat. These people eventually leave for companies where they will be appreciated.
The Wizard's hot air balloon: This is the company Dorothy thought she wanted to work in. The poor, ineffectual Wizard had no idea how to anticipate the winds of change in his industry, so he couldn't steer it. After (luckily) missing the flight, Dorothy decided that investing in herself was her best chance. She closed her eyes, clicked her heels and ended up getting where she wanted to go, without the balloon.
The Farm: The company where Dorothy landed after the Tornado. Actually, she found it a bit boring after her wild ride to parts unknown, and she longed to set out on a more exciting career path. She didn't stay in Kansas very long, but helped the farm become prosperous again before starting her own consultancy.
The Wicked Truth: Dorothy was so empowered by solving such a big problem in Oddz, that she actually began to seek them out, and became a management consultant. She learned the only way to "steer" the balloon was by raising and lowering it, according to the wind currents. Flying her own balloon back to Oddz, she interviewed with the Wizard, who had landed there safely after only a few minutes aloft. He did have something in that black bag for her, after all. He proposed they go into business together, and is now finding more businesses for her to turn around.
Years ago, when I believed I was working for the most dysfunctional company in the free world, I wrote a little list of analogies based on the characters in Frank L. Baum's classic tale (which was a political analogy in itself).
"THE WIZARD OF ODDZ "
Question: Can you spot any of these characters in the organization where you work? (Feel free to reply, no matter who you are. This is an open forum, so you should protect your identity against the wrath of supervisors who may recognize themselves.)
The Tornado: The tornado upset Dorothy’s peaceful existence, destroyed part of it, and sent her on a difficult path (the yellow brick road) of self-discovery. This path had stumbling blocks and villains that hindered her progress, but it ultimately provided a good education. The tornado is a metaphor for anything that can devastate a company, or simply whittle away at morale. It could be a reorganization, the loss of competent employees or top clients, a stock market crash, mismanagement, or miscommunication. It doesn't have to be big or threatening if what it's trying to destroy is already weak. It can sink the boat if everyone isn’t rowing (or bailing) together.
Auntie Em: A good worker who is just overwhelmed by her responsibilities. Slackers and incompetent managers heap work on her because she’s one capable person surrounded by poor planners and elitists. She's had to stifle her natural creativity, because so much grunt work is given to her. She obeys company policy and all industry rules, but can’t stand up to Miss Gulch. Without a decent salary or benefits, she has no real reason to stay, so she will be the first one to jump ship when an opportunity arises. Her main problem is that Miss Gulch keeps her too busy with weekend assignments to spend time with her kids or look for another job.
Toto: He’s a metaphor for what we all care about – the people or things for which we'd risk or sacrifice anything. It's the only good reason to continue working for a company we can't really believe in.
Uncle Henry: Basically a decent person, he’s in a department that isn’t making any money, and he can’t figure out why. He's worried that the company isn't getting many contracts, even though their bids are sometimes lowest. He senses the company is getting a bad reputation, but stays, mostly by default, because they haven't invested in his professional development. Unable to compete in the current job market, he's still too young to retire.
Miss Gulch: Jealous of anyone with a life outside the office, she’s determined to ruin their off-time. She secretly rejoices at the failures of others, but is not above stealing their ideas. Without much relevant experience in the industry she's in, she has no idea how to help advance the company. Her staff watches her waste tons of money on self-aggrandizing PR, while all their PCs malfunction and need replacing. Vendors on her approved list, despite frequently delivering substandard work. Emergency projects are the norm, because she doesn't plan ahead. After scanning industry publications for buzzwords, she uses them so often that Uncle Henry's field hands created a drinking game based on it. Bicycling home one dark Friday night after Happy Hour, she was run off the road by a car driven by her assistant, who hastily buried her behind the Gales' out-house. Toto now takes his morning dump there. After a decent interval, her property was auctioned off by the county, which eventually funded Dorothy's revamping of the farm.
Dorothy: A True Believer, she recognizes potential in others, expects everyone to be ethical, and trusts people until she’s proven wrong (and sometimes even afterwards). She’ll do her best to diagnose and solve problems, even in unfamiliar territory. She was dropped into Oddz and is doing her best to get her friends' needs met. Maybe there’s nothing in that black bag for her, but she isn’t afraid to challenge the Wizard when he's abusive. She was so glad to get out of Oddz that she didn't even mind facing Miss Gulch again, but she'd already disappeared.
The Scarecrow: He thinks he isn’t smart, but he has a unique insight -- he was able to manipulate the talking trees into throwing a few of their apples when Dorothy got hungry. This was unfairly seen as brown-nosing by his co-workers, but it had the desired effect. He’s loyal to a fault, and will defend others, even at his own peril. His vulnerability is his straw (his trusting nature). His lack of confidence in himself means that he doesn’t get any respect from the crows in his department. He’d been hanging on that nail in the field for years, not aspiring to do anything more, until Dorothy came along and asked directions. He rose to the challenge, dared to invite himself along on her journey, and ended up finding a new career.
The Tin Man: He thinks he has no heart, but he's just dogmatic. Not very flexible, he can get stuck in a rut very easily, but he's willing to learn. He knows he'll rust if doesn't keep his sense of humor handy. His special talent is his ax, which gets him out of most crises, but he knows there are more subtle and effective management methods to be learned. He gets stuck most often when the company won't let him invest in more progressive equipment and training.
The Cowardly Lion: He isn't cowardly, but he's never been given a challenge worthy of his talents. His true nature emerged when he admitted to his shortcomings and asked for help, then began looking for a company he could believe in. He used to believe that strength was shown by being a bully, but now he despises oppression in all its forms. He's ready to work for a company that will value his leadership skills.
Glinda, the Good Witch: The best manager in the company, she is beloved and trusted by the Munchkins. She protects them, gives them confidence, recognizes their strengths, and isn’t threatened by their talents. Knowing they are capable, she doesn’t micro-manage, but gives them good directions and gets out of their way, only reappearing when they need a pep talk. She laughs at the Wicked Witch because she recognizes a true coward in action.
The Munchkins: They get along very well in their individual and team roles, until the Wicked Witch shows up. They are initially wary of strangers, because they've seen more than one Wicked Witch come and go, but they trust Glinda’s judgment, and are very helpful to new hires. They are grateful to Dorothy, who solved their main crisis without even trying.
The Wicked Witch of the West: She’s your worst nightmare, and the most difficult to change, because she’s comfortable with the status quo. Ruling by intimidation, she bullies everyone, and plays upon their deepest fears. She slyly discovers the personal vulnerabilities of her staff, and stores them up like ammunition, but carefully guards her own, trusting no one. She covets the unique power of the ruby slippers and will do anything, or betray anyone, to get them. Once her sister (he Witch of the East) was dead, she saw them as her right. She pretends to blame Dorothy for landing a house on her sister, but the truth is, she saw the house falling and pushed her sister underneath it. She knows she isn’t qualified to be the top witch, having been promoted to the position only by default. The soldiers are so sick of her that they keep a bucket of water in the tower, presumably for the flying monkeys, hoping she'll spill it on herself.
The flying monkeys: They are the drones of the operation. They have no original ideas, no ethics, and can be bought by the highest bidder. They do the Wicked Witch’s bidding only because they couldn’t get jobs anywhere else. They never operate as individuals, and only feel powerful when they can gang up on someone weaker. The Witch got control of them by giving them titles and positions they hadn't earned, but hired others to do the real work. If she hadn't rendered them helpless, they would’ve gone elsewhere and become truly qualified.
Now that the Wicked Witch has been melted, they'll lay around the castle for awhile and collect unemployment until they're evicted by the IRS who's selling the place to cover back taxes. They will be easily persuaded to take out high interest loans and enter a multilevel marketing business, but will quickly go bankrupt.
The soldiers in the Witch’s castle: Better than the flying monkeys, they stay primarily because they recognize a good manager when they see one, and want to see things improve. They weren’t quite brave enough to speak their minds when the Witch was around, but they are terribly grateful to Dorothy for getting rid of her. The good king at the neighboring castle is already trying to recruit them, but they truly have hope for the company now that a competent manager can be hired.
The Water: Honesty and exposure. Dorothy came into the dysfunctional company (Oddz), realized what the problem was, and tossed out some fresh new ideas, which turned out to be beneficial for everyone.
The Wizard: He wasn't really happy with his management style, but didn't know how to be more effective. He used to blame others when a project fell through, but he eventually admitted he had used the wrong tactics. He now knows he can’t force anyone to do his bidding; he can only achieve his aims by earning his staff's respect and loyalty by doing the right thing. This he did by helping develop their potential, not just for the company, but for their own personal betterment. Too bad this only happened when Toto pulled back the curtain, but at least it happened. The Wizard is fascinated by Dorothy's potential, and secretly acknowledges that she's the real rainmaker in the company. If he can get her on his team, he can finally become what he longs to be.
The black bag: It holds the rewards of encouragement, recognition, merit raises and earned promotions. Some people know there isn’t anything in the black bag for them. At a dysfunctional company, they observe others getting credit for their ideas or a select few getting recognized and rewarded. Calling attention to this will only earn a reputation as a trouble-maker, so they won't often rock the boat. These people eventually leave for companies where they will be appreciated.
The Wizard's hot air balloon: This is the company Dorothy thought she wanted to work in. The poor, ineffectual Wizard had no idea how to anticipate the winds of change in his industry, so he couldn't steer it. After (luckily) missing the flight, Dorothy decided that investing in herself was her best chance. She closed her eyes, clicked her heels and ended up getting where she wanted to go, without the balloon.
The Farm: The company where Dorothy landed after the Tornado. Actually, she found it a bit boring after her wild ride to parts unknown, and she longed to set out on a more exciting career path. She didn't stay in Kansas very long, but helped the farm become prosperous again before starting her own consultancy.
The Wicked Truth: Dorothy was so empowered by solving such a big problem in Oddz, that she actually began to seek them out, and became a management consultant. She learned the only way to "steer" the balloon was by raising and lowering it, according to the wind currents. Flying her own balloon back to Oddz, she interviewed with the Wizard, who had landed there safely after only a few minutes aloft. He did have something in that black bag for her, after all. He proposed they go into business together, and is now finding more businesses for her to turn around.
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