Due Process or “Do What’s Best?”

Due process seems to go out the window when people get “uncomfortable.” Take the recent news frenzy over Mary Easley’s contract at NC State University down in Raleigh. It is typical of what I’ve seen happen to many people, even myself.

Something occurs that on the face of it raises questions, or maybe in this case jealousy. Gossip eventually spawns news coverage. News coverage leads to formal inquiry - but of course the news is never really patient for formal inquiry, so it keeps the issue alive by reworking it over and over and typically interfering with the inquiry...

Insinuations if hammered long enough transform into perception. Perceptions make people uncomfortable. Factions form to push for one action or another creating gridlock. A few people argue for due process, but far more often than not these days, due process quickly becomes a victim as well.

Because eventually someone says…long before all of the facts are out, let alone both sides…“I hope she’ll do the right thing,” and by “right’’ they don’t mean stick by her guns until the facts are truly out. They mean, resign so we can all get back to feeling comfortable. Sometimes the comment is, “I hope she’ll resign so we can move on?” Move on is another euphemism for get back to being comfortable.

People’s lives and reputations are being ruined on a daily basis so we can all be “comfortable!”

Makes me gag when I see this cycle repeated over and over…in fact it is by far the norm now…And now it has become a well worn strategy. If an individual or faction wants to get rid of someone without actually having to confront issues face to face or make a case based on the facts or go through the established procedure...they just set this cycle in motion and sit back and wait.

Because eventually, rather than sticking up for due process…people will get tired and just want it to go away…meaning throw someone under the bus.

So why even go through the charade about due process?