A few years ago, Willie Nelson, who has spent a lifetime writing from the heart, penned these words: “I made a mistake, Lord, and it's all on me. I wouldn't admit it but it's easy to see. So if anyone's praying, a request I would make, is to mention my name because I made a mistake.”
Oh, if only our nation's political leaders would take heed.
Some of them believe that admitting a mistake is a sign of weakness. It used to be, “Act now and apologize later.” That has been replaced by, “Act now, no matter the consequences and never apologize.”
Some prefer to shirk your responsibility, look the other way, and wait for everything to blow over. That strategy doesn't seem to be working out.
After the recent shootings in Minneapolis, top government officials made hasty, inaccurate statements before investigations had even begun. Video evidence and actual research made it clear that the accusations were inaccurate and inflammatory. Certain people were removed from their assignments, but there was a noticeable absence of anyone taking responsibility for their mistakes.
There was talk about the need for trust to be restored, and to “lower the volume,” but no action. There was an emphasis on legal and political maneuvering, but no regard for any moral obligation.
The Minneapolis shootings serve as recent examples, but they are part of a pattern of politicians twisting themselves into pretzels to avoid admitting a blunder. Polls show an increasing number of Americans aren't buying it.
Early in my broadcasting career, my TV station had a bad day. One major on-air error triggered another, then another, and the end result was a disastrous newscast. Viewers at home were surely asking, “Do these people have a clue?” The next day, our manager called a staff meeting. We all gathered in the studio, awaiting a chew-out session. Usually, this would end up with everyone sitting around quietly, avoiding eye contact, and absolving themselves of any blame.
Not this time. Before the boss could begin airing his list of grievances, one employee stood up and said, “This is all my fault. Don't take it out on anyone else, or the staff in general. If I had paid more attention, none of this would have happened. I take full responsibility, and I feel bad about it. I can assure you this will never happen again.”
I had never seen anyone do this. We all sat in stunned silence. It would have been easy for the employee to sit with the rest of us, enduring an old-fashioned “blessing out.” But he chose to come clean, if you will. He certainly did not intentionally sabotage the newscast. It was a human error. It was preventable, and with proper care, not repeatable.
You may be wondering what penalty did he pay? None. Our manager accepted the apology, thanked him for his honesty, and dismissed us without having to raise his voice, as he likely intended to do. The employee went on to have a long, successful career. I never forgot that day, or his courageous confession.
Mistakes can be large or small. The comedian Steve Harvey made a doozy on live TV in 2015. As emcee of the Miss Universe pageant, he opened a sealed envelope which contained the names of the runners-up and the winner. Multiple hosts of many pageants had made this announcement to worldwide audiences for decades. On that night, Harvey made a blunder that lives on in YouTube infamy. “The new Miss Universe is... Colombia!” he exclaimed.
The young lady from Colombia shed tears of joy as she was crowned before a cheering audience. A few seconds later, a stone-faced Harvey said, “I made a mistake.” As the presumed Miss Universe looked on in shock, he said, “I will take responsibility for this. It's all on this card. Miss Universe 2015 is Philippines.”
He could have blamed the production staff, the teleprompter, or the lighting. Ten years later, Steve Harvey still has a successful career, after making a massive mistake, and then owning it. Perhaps taking responsibility is the right thing to do. Our elected leaders should give it a try.
David Carroll is a Chattanooga news anchor, and his latest book is "I Won't Be Your Escape Goat," available from his website, ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. You may contact him at 900 Whitehall Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37405, or at RadioTV2020@yahoo.com.
