Brown-outs Short Circuit Civility And Logic

Here’s our advice to Memphis Councilman Shea Flinn:

When confronted with the rantings of Councilman Joe Brown, just say: Councilman, I simply refuse to go into mental combat with an unarmed man.

Those are the immortal words used by former City Councilman Fred Davis to a colleague decades ago when his colleague’s argument crossed the boundaries of simple logic and good manners.

We needed Mr. Davis at Council today, because if ever there was a time when it was clear that Councilman Flinn’s adversary was completely unarmed, it was at today’s meeting.

Brown-outs

And even his fellow Council members, who’ve heard any awful lot of circular reasoning and race-baiting from Councilman Brown, were shaking their heads over his flight at warp speed into a parallel universe. One wag has taken to calling such moments “Brown-outs,” or short circuits that shut down the system.

To punctuate his outrage over the Council’s consideration of Memphian Steve Ross as a member of the Memphis and Shelby County Metropolitan Government Charter Commission, Councilman Brown shouted at Mr. Flinn: “I'm a real black man. I hope you're a real white man."

It’s enough to discourage us from thinking that Memphis Mayor-elect A C Wharton even has a chance to spread his gospel of “One Memphis” to the Brown apostolate of division and scarcity mentality.

Scarcity Thinking

In the Joe Brown worldview, there’s only one way to see the world: If you’re winning, I must be losing. In that worldview, there’s only one thing to do: to pull you down to my level of dysfunction and mediocrity.

The first casualty of this approach is the fundamental civility and candid, calm debate that is the essential grease for sound public decision-making. And yet, the greater casualty is the public involvement that is the essence of our system of government.

Yesterday’s outburst against Mr. Ross sent the unmistakable and clear message – the one Councilman Brown undoubtedly wanted to send – that all people really aren’t welcome in public discourse.

Defining Diversity

When Mr. Brown talks about the importance of diversity, he clearly doesn’t mean diversity of opinions. To the contrary, nominees to any city board or commission who express a different point of view do so at their peril. Councilman Brown’s regular canings of good people suggests that he’d be just as comfortable as a criminal judge in Singapore as a public servant in the U.S.

There was the former City Council member, a solid advocate for civil rights, who was called a racist by Councilman Brown. There was the citizen who was told he was stupid. There was the staff member berated and vilified. Then, there was yesterday’s question about whether Councilman Flinn is a “real white man,” whatever that means.

Steve Ross needs no defense from us, particularly since he proves on his blog just how much he loves this crazy place and how much he has to offer in knowledge and insight for the charter commission. There is little argument that he is progressive and open and a fighter against fear and doubt, just what a charter commission members needs. He is also a firm proponent of the Thomas Jefferson advice: “An informed citizenry is the only true repository of the public will.”

Opening Up The System

While most of us lament the recycling of the usual suspects time after time on public boards, there’s little wonder that people aren’t beating down the front door of City Hall to volunteer. For most young professionals in particular, there’s just no reason to get into such a hostile sphere, and God knows, there is precious little mentoring taking place from the elected officials now in office, especially the old guard like Councilman Brown.

With little voice in public affairs and even less traction on political decisions, it should be no surprise that so many people simply decide that it’s just too hard to do good deeds in Memphis. Sadly, it also reinforces a common Memphis narrative: we are stuck in time where political patronage and paybacks are the ways we do business and newcomers need not apply. It is a damning narrative, because it creates low expectations here and serves as encouragement to move somewhere else.

It’s a shame, because there is no lack of impressive young talent in our city. If you doubt it, check out the FedEx world headquarters cafeteria at lunch some time. There are talented managers of every race, of every ethnicity and of both genders in abundance, and they are seen nowhere in the public life of our city.

New Blood

It’s just too hostile, and there’s just too little reward for the bruising welcome that normally awaits new faces in the public sphere. If we were in charge, we’d immediately enact a policy that 75% of all appointees to boards and commissioners have never served before.

We’d also require that either the director or deputy director in every city division is filled with a young professional. It may sound drastic, but we have to do something to inject new energy, imbed new ideas and import new experiences that can inspire new solutions. In addition, we need to begin succession planning, training more and more people with courage and creativity to move up and transform the City Hall culture.

But first, citizens who are willing to step up and serve city government have every right to expect common courtesy from City Council. It’s the least all Council members can do for the people who pay their salaries in the first place.

Sadly, all this bad behavior was rewarded when Mayor Wharton and Memphis Mayor Pro Tem Myron Lowery pulled Mr. Ross's nomination. It was just another day in City Hall.