On Guns

I don't own guns, but I have handled and shot a variety of firearms, from a .22 handgun to a 30 0 6 rifle. Somewhere in this house I have some great photos of myself shooting cans in the middle of nowhere, New Mexico, and if I can ever find them, I'll add them to this post. Shooting is fun, no doubt. Not so fun that I want to own a gun; I was persuaded that a gun in the home is more likely to be used for domestic injury than for self defense and I decided I am better off without them.

Regarding hunting, I respect people who kill and dress their own meat more than I respect people who eat meat out of the grocery store. Factory farming is heinous and any attempt to undermine it, whether it be by killing your own, going veg, or limiting your meat purchases to small farms that nurture the animal from birth to slaughter, meets with my approval. I find sport hunting and captive hunts unconscionable violations of an individual animal's autonomous right to life.

My husband owns a 12 gauge shotgun and a .44 magnum Blackhawk. He once shot and killed a bear who was carrying away his sheep. I've never seen his guns; they are currently in a safe in storage in a town other than the one we live in. He doesn't miss them.

Lately, I've found that the pro-gun response to suggestions of various control methods is simply, "that won't work." Well, you know what? You have no idea whether it will work or not. One huge problem in addressing gun violence is that no one knows what will work, because until last week, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) was not allowed to use congressional funding to do any research on guns. The new spending bill clarifies that the CDC can in fact do firearm research, and I hope that they will. I am optimistic that this country will go further in that direction, in part due to the heroic organizational efforts of the inspirational Parkland students, but I remain concerned, because the NRA still exists.

Use Good Judgment, Policy Be Damned

I have worked retail and other customer service since before it was legal for me to be employed. I grew up in a retail establishment, and I worked for over a decade on the front lines and in supervisory roles of various organizations. I've also trained staff in customer service best practices. I think it's fair for me to call myself an expert in customer service. 

There is a philosophy that leaves no room for service agents to evaluate a particular circumstance and determine that policy is inappropriate. "Consistency" becomes the Promised Land, and POLICY becomes the almighty.

I don't disdain rules, but slavish adherence to them can undermine the purpose they are meant to serve. It is crucial that anyone working in customer service have both the freedom and the self-confidence to thoughtfully apply rules and policies to circumstances. Customer service requires good judgment.

Why, of course this post sprung from an experience.