It’s an odd title for a blog so here’s my explanation:
ENOUGH as used here means bringing to bear sufficient resources (i.e, money, manpower, equipment, whatever it takes) to accomplish the task at hand, usually this pertains to a challenge previously considered unsolvable or overwhelming.
Why am I thinking about this? Several reasons:
- During Thanksgiving weekend, I was anxiously raking up my leaves one morning and it looked like I would not complete in time for the first snowfall. Then I was joined by my 3 sons and we completed the task before sunset. We got to talking about how long it would take to complete the task if 100 persons were issued a rake and we agreed that it could be done in 1 hour (2 hours max.)
- I was listening to a commercial that mentioned an organization that reportedly solves problems previously considered unsolvable.
- I was thinking about all the problems afflicting society (crime, education, housing, etc.) and thought that anything’s possible if only ENOUGH resources were brought to bear.
- As a former mall cop from a family with many cop ancestors, I’m naturally interested in criminal justice matters. I can’t seem to get out of my head the fact that a nearby public housing complex reportedly has over 7 unsolved homicides. All those eyes and ears in a densely populated area and “nobody knows nothing”. One of my clients was recently murdered and I can’t stop thinking about how the homicide unit is so understaffed that a quick closure to this case (if it ever gets closed) is unlikely.
- As a former manager of after school programs in a public housing authority until the Drug Elimination Grant funds dried up, I always wonder what more could have been done and how many lives could have been re-directed has there been sufficient and consistent resources.
The resources exist. We’re the country that won WW2. We’re the country that landed on the moon. We build the railway and interstate highway system. We got the covid vaccines up and running in short order. When we rake our lawn and shovel our driveways, we don’t do it only half way. So why are we overwhelmed when it comes to crime, education, housing, hunger (pick you favorite cause). It’s all about the will to apply the resources AND make some hard decisions about what NOT to fund. Might I suggest a couple fewer aircraft carriers and battleships since we already have plenty and it’s not a good idea to keep funding the LAST war (the future war will be of a cyber/bio variety).
So what’s the call to action? Select priorities, laser focus until the problem at hand is addressed, make the tough cuts, tough decisions about priorities and get it DUNN (sorry for the typo, it happens to be my last name).