A recent editorial, written in support of the hiring of more lifeguards, reminds me of another editorial that appeared in WHT a few months ago. In that other piece, written in favor of establishing a firing range for gun enthusiasts, the author used the same argument — that it is a “no-brainer” decision.
I don’t know about you, but whenever I hear that phrase, it raises the cautionary hairs on the back of my neck. In my experience, the no-brainer words are, all too often, those of the ineffective sales person who is short of persuasive skills, making one last-ditch effort to close the sale. In essence, the sales person is saying that, if the prospective buyer cannot justify the logic of the pending purchase, that same prospective buyer must have no brain.
In other words, accept my argument, or else you are stupid.
I recall a time, earlier in my career, when I accidentally overheard my boss, the manager, interviewing a woman for an administrative assistant’s position. Instead of saying that the office procedures were solidly in place, and that, with her qualifications, she should be up-to-speed rapidly, he foolishly told her that the job was a no-brainer. I was not surprised when she refused the position and walked out of the interview with her head down, hiding the tears of having just been dehumanized.
With all this said, let me make it clear that I have absolutely no position on either the gun-range issue or the lifeguard matter. I just hope that, whether planning a gun-range or evaluating an increase to the county budget for additional lifeguard services, the respective decision makers come to the table bringing their brains with them. Regardless of the outcomes, I encourage “yes brainer” solutions.
James Donovan is a resident of Waikoloa