I loathe false dichotomies. Every element of the lives we lead are more complicated than the two sides of the coin. I have reserved judgement on this "Safe Surrender" program until it's conclusion, as it should be, and now that the Cleveland Municipal Court component of the program has been cancelled for today ( "Yay! Ingenuityfest, Here Comes the Bloomsdays!") I will say that it was an utter nightmare of legal and logistic problems, and that I will say that I am proud to have helped navigate a few people through it. Just like Gene Hackman in the Poseidon Adventure! Actually, my stats were better than Hackman's. The luxury cruise ship of a church was turned upside down by the process, packed with confused, anxious/nervous people. It was a just idea. I just wish it produced more just results.
The real heroes of the program were the bailiffs and clerks and who exemplified grace under pressure. Getting people to follow paperwork through this bureaucratic funhouse was a torturous struggle. Flowcharts be damned, the bailiffs and clerks understood the spirit of the event and I watched a hundred examples of devoted public service. I love those people. The first round's on me, ladies and gents.
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