What If…

As a child, I enjoyed reading comic books: fantastical tales of heroism performed by people with exceptional talents, skills or abilities.  Those books often tapped into creative corners of my mind.  The computer-aided graphics available today that bring those characters of my youth to life did not exist then.  We had to imagine the actions and movements of the pictures on the page.  We often imagined ourselves as the main characters and played out different ones with our friends as we tied towels around our necks, thinking that would make us fly.  What a wonderful way to learn and experience reading by picturing yourself in the story. 

One particular comic strip had the title “What If…” The premise was that a known comic strip would be reimagined if the characters were switched around, such as the hero being the villain or the bully getting the superpower rather than the good guy. In the comic book world, this allows for new storytelling of familiar situations. Just as history repeats itself, so do some of the stories.

“What if” can be viewed from the past, or it works well in life when considering the options available for the future. Some ponder their past while thinking about how they would be now had they made a different choice back then. Others take the lessons learned and use the experiences to help set the course for the future.

I heard an athlete say recently, “What If” concerning an incident they had been involved in with police.  His perspective was that if he were not famous, the results would have been different. His perspective that he was made to lay down on the ground and be handcuffed for a simple moving violation could have gone far worse. 

I heard an investigator say, “What If” he did not follow up on a case involving threats made by a teenager about committing a violent act against other students.   He can be consoled they did not act where he was, but it did not keep him from acting somewhere else.

It would be nice if our legislators used some “What If” knowledge about issues.  

“What If” the state legislators began to put funding back into our mental health facilities that they defunded 25-30 years ago.  Is it possible that could put a dent in our homeless population?  Would it possibly reduce the crime rate and overpopulation of our jails?  Would our communities benefit from fully funded mental health professionals throughout the state?

“What If” our school boards spent as much money on people as they did on buildings and facilities?  Would teachers have enough supplies and help to teach? Would there be enough licensed counselors for every school rather than one trying to meet the needs of several schools? What if the public’s concerns could be openly discussed during board meetings and made known without registering online? 

“What If” our congressman and senators worked cooperatively rather than as opponents?  Could there be federal legislation that protects voters’ rights and elections?   Would we be able to better protect our children and the general public by making a gun purchase require a reasonable background check?

“What If” the people voted at every election like they do during a presidential cycle.  Would there be better accountability by elected officials in the local and state delegations?  Would the community be more involved with the day-to-day functioning of departments?  Would the developments and services we receive do better for the entire community?

“What If” it was you on the ground in handcuffs, or your active shooter situation, or your school without adequate resources, or your ability to vote to be at risk?  What would you want done?