Professionalism

The tragedy in Arizona has attracted a lot of news, especially in a media-centric world we have today. I find especially interesting the case of the local sheriff who has become newsworthy because of his public statements about possible influence of political rhetoric on the assailant. In an interview just hours after the shooting he implicated conservative pundits and politicians for inciting hateful rhetoric.

It seems normal that people will make assumption and judgments based on their world view and it would seem Sheriff Dupnik was doing this as a human reaction to seeing friends seriously injured or killed by a senseless act. What is interesting, however, is how the sheriff has responded since that first day. Given the chance to walk back his comments, he actually made them ore strident--calling the state bigoted (related to the hot topic of immigration).

In fact, on Monday--two days after the incident and after information clearly showed that politics and ideology likely had no influence on the killer--he upped the rhetoric leaving a local newspaper to write, "Enough attacks, sheriff. Enough vitriol. It is well past time for the sheriff of Pima County to get a grip on his emotions and remember his duty."

So is this an ethical lapse by the sheriff? Probably, but it sticks out for us because of how most people in that position will largely hide their personal feelings so well. I suspect as a younger man, sheriff Dupnik would have been better at handling the separation of professional duty and personal conviction, but as a veteran well into his seventies he may be signaling he is tired of holding on to that professional "facade" anymore.

It is actually amazing how so many professionals are able to keep their composure and take on a perspective that belies personal affinity or preferences. Every day we go to work we have to sometimes suspend the personal--that is what defines a professional. Sheriff Dupnik is probably a decent sheriff but appears to no longer seek to honor professional decorum. Ability to act according the needs of the job over personal feeling is what defines a professional, not just that they make money for doing it. It will not be surprising the sheriff will be retiring in the near future.

Big Projects

What is the most impressive feat: publishing two great books over approximately 15-20 years or several very good (and bestselling) books over about the same period? Of course the distinction between great and very good is in the eyes of the beholder but it is still an interesting questions to m e as I finish reading the new book by Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken, which is the story of Louis Zamperini.

The book is tremendous as Hillenbrand is one of the best storytellers of non-fiction I have read (don't take my word for it, here is a take from NPR). Yet, this accomplished writer has published just two books--the first one was Seabiscuit in 2001. She spent seven plus years writing the next book and reading the acknowledgements it is a wonder she could write this book at all. In addition to conducting over 75 interviews with the principal, Zamperini, she involved dozens of people in the project in order to get the story and authenticate it. The main part of the story takes place during WWII and over multiple continents. She had to learn about things like B-24 navigation and the technology of bomb dropping along with gaining a more nuanced understanding of Japanese culture.

The effort seems so enormous and much more than simply being able to write well. Research is a huge part -- in fact I wonder if she is not a researcher who happens to write very well. Even more impressive is how she is able to engage others in the project. Important things cannot be done alone and she gains the help of many, many people who probably got paid nothing for their help except to be part of something they believed important and worthwhile.

I am impressed with accomplishment by Hillenbrand of seeing a large project through to such a successful end. I have also been impressed by the output of prolific writers like Tom Clancy and James Michener who would put out a novel (historical fiction) every 18-24 months. While their work also took research to make the fiction authentic, Hillenbrand did not have the license they had and still wove a great tale. I vote for plodders over the profligate.