HOW TO BE SAFE AND POLITICALLY CORRECT

Hello Common Sense Crusaders! In this edition I tackle how your safety and security can be compromised in a surprising way.

In this day and age of political correctness no one wants to risk offending anyone, myself included. Yet it could actually jeopardize your safety and security. If something doesn’t feel, look, or sound right to you, then it probably isn’t, regardless of the gender, ethnicity, age or social group of the person. The balance between being politically correct and being safe can be a tricky one and present hard decisions to make.

If you don’t mention something that doesn’t seem right based on not wanting to seem bigoted, then you could potentially be leaving not only yourself, but many others (even your company) open to a number of bad things. The same thing applies if you don’t say something because you don’t want to get involved or seem like a jerk.

I am NOT saying in any way, shape or form that you should target any one specific group, but if you see someone somewhere they’re not supposed to be or doing something they shouldn’t be doing then SAY SOMETHING! Don’t look at them in societal terms of gender, ethnicity, age, or group. Look at them in terms of a human being that shouldn’t be there or be doing that.

We sometimes see in the news after a tragedy that there were “red flags” that either weren’t reported or weren’t investigated properly seemingly because of wanting to be politically correct. Think about it in these terms – would you want to be “that” person after a tragedy that says they noticed something, but didn’t say anything or didn’t want to get involved? I know this sounds really dramatic, but you never know – it could and has happened.

Red flags should not be ignored no matter what the circumstances. They are the warning signs that something isn’t right. They are usually the first clue that something is not right.

The flip side of that coin is trying to decide when or if you should say something. I was listening to a talk radio show recently where they were discussing a local incident where a woman shot and killed someone for no apparent reason. The point that they were discussing was that this woman had posted statuses and videos that were very odd and threatening in nature. They were asking each other and their listeners, at what point do you take action when you read or hear things like that? When does it cross the line and go from someone speaking their mind to something that needs to be reported? Is that person just a little quirky or possibly violent? What happens if the person in question is a family member?

Those are actually tough questions to answer, but ones that should be asked when someone is posting questionable things online. Not only are they tough questions, but they are also very subjective. What one person thinks is questionable or offensive, someone else might think it is fine and not a problem. My answer might be completely different than other’s answers. Although, I can’t help feeling, if you are questioning whether something needs to be said, then you really do need to say something. If the thought crosses your mind then you should act in some way. I’m not saying that you should automatically go to law enforcement, but don’t be afraid to report what you see – it could end up being very important.

I definitely understand not wanting to seem like a jerk, but when it comes to your security, its okay sometimes. You could be saving yourself and others from something tragic. This is not to say you should be a jerk to everyone about everything, but you should say something if it concerns your safety and security. If you see someone doing something that is suspicious, then tell someone who can investigate it. There are a number of ways you could make a report anonymously, whether it’s to a family member, company or a law enforcement agency. You might even consider talking to the person face to face so you can get a better gauge on what is going on with them. I do not recommend this if you do not know the person. In a case like that contact security or local law enforcement. Don’t approach a stranger and confront them because that could be dangerous.

It is a tricky situation when you are seeing red flags, but in order to keep yourself and others safe and secure remember:

Report what you see – no matter who it is.

Don’t think of someone doing something that doesn’t seem right in terms of gender, ethnicity, age or group – think of them as a human being doing something wrong.

If it concerns your safety and security, it is sometimes okay to be a little bit of a jerk.

As always stay safe and be a common sense crusader for security.