“Success On The Way”
My mother talked about “Red Tape.” I understand now. She was talking about: AKA The Bureaucracy AKA The Establishment AKA The System AKA The Man AKA The Cards Are Stacked Against Us AKA Red Tape. Responsible positions of authority require working, collaboration with authorities, commonly referred to as “the bureaucracy.” This word has become known to some negatively and arousing anger. Some people don’t know what it means at all; but when they hear it, they know it’s something about government. Bureaucracy connotes a system of administration and government; a large group of people with many complicated rules and ways of doing things through a body of nonelected government officials, bureaucrats. Our system has morphed into proliferation (bigger and bigger) into an administrative policy-making group which becomes a government within itself, adhering to fixed rules, and a hierarchy (multiple layers) of authority; so much so that things don’t get done or if they get done, you have to cut through the red tape to get it done or you may not get it done at all. The red tape is not severable even with sharp scissors.
Be patient with me. Important information—why some things are the way they are. Bureaucracy’s ideal form is impersonal and is rule based; but the rules may not be followed. Bureaucracy lends itself to favoritism to the preferred and bias against those who are not favored. Inequality is inherent. Bureaucracies have responsibility at the top and delegated with decreasing discretion and accountability below. Bureaucrats have a powerful authority to interpret legal statutes (which may be incorrect) and make regulations to override the legislature to assuming that the legislature was inept and did not know what they intended to do when laws are passed. The same with the constitution. Supreme Court judges reinterpret the constitution. So statutes and the constitution morphe (warped) away from the original forefathers. The bureaucratic system may go unchecked and unquestioned while regulations are passed without you the common citizen or taxpayer knowing it. The words bureaucracy and bureaucrat are typically thought of and used pejoratively (in a negative way) and convey images of red tape, excessive rules and regulations, unimaginativeness, a lack of individual discretion, central control, and an absence of accountability. Far from being conceived as proficient, popular contemporary portrayals often paint bureaucracies as inefficient and inflexible. We are intrinsically strong. We overcome inconsistencies and leap the hurdles. We are tenacious. We triumph through adversity. We live in a time when “all people are accepted” socially and legally. We manage it. We keep love in our hearts and know what we can do and what we cannot do. Maybe as time goes on, we can do it or not. We’re survivors!
Jeanette Grattan Parker, Ph.D. writer, artist, educator, speaker, marriage expert (50+) Superintendent/Founder-Today’s Fresh Start Charter School, 4514 Crenshaw BL., LA 90043 323-293-9826 Writings are copyright: “Will You Marry Me” and “Inquiring Minds Want To Know.” [email protected].
