Responsibility

As a young Marine Corps officer, I was taught that I was responsible for everything the unit I led did or failed to do.  Such responsibility is directly connected with the authority granted me as the unit leader.  Stated differently, one can not be granted authority without accepting the directly associated responsibility.

Sadly, all too sadly, many (if not most) in positions of authority fail miserably in their acceptance of responsibility.

The failure to accept responsibility is all too reminiscent of the automatic "I didn't do it" uttered incessantly by the cartoon character Bart Simpson.  False, hollow, insulting, and

Without commensurate and directly accountable responsibility for one's actions, authority is despotic. Attempts to avoid responsibility have recently, but not exclusively, been seen on national, state, and local stages.  The varying modes of avoiding responsibility are as numerous as are the perpetrators.

• Denying previously made statements or actions, even when confronted with video/audio of the statements or actions.
• Claiming lack of recall of the events.
• Blaming unidentified subordinates, accusing them of acting wrongly.  (This raises the specter of spectacular incompetence for failing to supervise those over whom the individual was granted authority.)
• Blaming some social grievance as the cause.
• Attempting to shift the focus by blaming the accuser of racism, sexism, political grandstanding, etc.
• Parsing the definition of words.
• Hiding behind legal maneuvering.

Others disingenuously and falsely utter statements intended to convey acknowledgment of responsibility, but then rejecting any consequence.  Blithely content with a wave of the hand and insincere mea culpa, they continue to press ahead, avoiding any actual responsibility for their actions.

Human beings are imperfect.  This imperfection manifests itself in many forms and ways.  Errors of judgment, inaccurate statements, snide commentary, task failures, and the like are part of the human experience.  As one's level of authority increases, so does the level of accountable responsibility.  Stating "I didn't personally do anything wrong," while attempting to shift the focus to subordinates, just doesn't cut it.

As the individual in charge, the boss, the supervisor, the commander, the director, the elected official, or whomever, when granted authority by the position one holds, it is absolutely necessary to accept the responsibility.  This means accepting both the accolades and consequences when appropriate.

The failures of our government officials, as cited recently, wherein responsibility is shirked, is absolutely disgusting.  They are unworthy and unfit for the positions of authority we, the people, have granted them.  Morally and ethically corrupt, those failing in acceptance of responsibility should resign in shame, be fired, or otherwise removed from office.