Protecting the Tribe

www.article.wn.com

I suppose there are few people in the U.S. that haven’t followed the recent events in Ferguson, Missouri.  There have been numerous articles and blog posts that address the supposed militarization of law enforcement.  There have been many law enforcement officers (most retired and free to speak their minds) who have addressed the rush to judgment that the initial officer, and those in the later response to riotous actions, have overreacted.  Crowds ransacked local businesses and community leaders are unable to stop the destruction.  And of course the media on both the left and right are appalled.  Everywhere, it seems someone from one side or the other is pointing fingers and crying foul.

This is a tragic situation for everyone involved in this incident.  A young man is dead and his parents have lost a son.  The officer involved in the shooting will never experience life as he did before August 9, 2014.  I don’t want to appear callous toward either of those two realities, but I would like to briefly discuss another interesting dynamic that has arisen during the past two weeks.

I am currently reading Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't by Simon Sinek.  Sinek explores how humans have adapted to become highly social creatures.  Our early ancestors had to rely on each other for survival.  Those who were shunned or excluded from their group often faced a quick and lonely death.  However, those who their family members or tribe mates could count on for support and cooperation flourished.  Sinek points out that our bodies produce serotonin and oxytocin, both of which help us form the bonds of trust and friendship. Physical touch - handshakes, fist bumps, holding hands, hugs, back slaps, shoulders touching - help produce these chemicals. Like the musk oxen in the photo, when we close ranks with our tribe, these chemicals contribute to us feeling safe and secure.   We feel connected, and we like that feeling.  Sinek refers to this phenomenon as the Circle of Safety.

We have seen the tribes circle in Ferguson – butts back – horns out.  A Facebook page showing support for Officer Wilson has over 70,000 likes.  Law enforcement officers everywhere know that in a fraction of second, they could be faced with a deadly force situation.  They all know it could be them being scrutinized by the press and having their actions second-guessed frame by frame.  I have found myself explaining the officer's action (in reality, defending those actions) and I know no details of the event other than those reported on television.  Although he is 700 miles away, he is a part of my tribe.

The African American community has aligned with Michael Brown’s family.  Many young, African American men have said they identify with Michael Brown, saying it could be one of them next time.  Brown’s funeral was attended by Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Spike Lee, Tom Joyner, and Trayvon Martin’s father – butts back – horns out.

www.washingtonpost.com

The governmental tribes have closed ranks.  Missouri Governor Jay Nixon thought local government couldn’t handle the situation and brought in the State Police.  The federal government sent U.S. Attorney Eric Holder to Ferguson.  Grandstanding aside, each entity is certain they have the solution to the problems in Ferguson.

Missouri State Police Capt. Ron Johnson
www.cbsnews.com

Even the press circled the wagons when their reporting techniques were questioned.

This brought to mind a conversation I had while I was working in Raleigh.  We were discussing a prominent elected official who comes across as a bully and a generally unlikable guy.  I expressed that opinion to my friend who responded, “His own party doesn’t like him.  But if you ask them they will tell you, ‘he is a son-of-a-bitch, but he is our son-of-a-bitch.’”  As Survivor host Jeff Probst would say, "The tribe has spoken."

Whether you feel comfortable referring to this as “evolutionary” or more comfortable with “adaptive,” whenever the stress levels rise, our first response is fall back into the Circle of Safety.  Failure to do so results in exclusion from the tribe.  And exclusion or banishment leads to a literal or figurative death.