WALDO, WILSON & ROY: AN ESSAY OF DEPARTAMENTAL DIALECTIC.

G. F HEGEL was a German philosopher who lived between 1770-1831 ac. Without a doubt the precursor of the western/ European philosophy system. This guy wrote / taught almost about anything and everything a human mind knew at that time. He even wrote his own “encyclopedia of philosophical science”.

HEGEL is also known by a phenomenon he called the “Dialectic”. Which is nothing more than a theory in this case, he called it a “Thesis”, later an “Antithesis” emerges as a reaction to this first thesis, and later the process ended up in what HEGEL called a “Synthesis” which is nothing more than a combination/merging of the Thesis with its Antithesis.

Thus in a vernacular language, the Hegelian Dialectic could be defined as a theory that merges its counterpart and then forming a new theory of its kind.

In our department, like in any given culture/community, three main theories strive. Waldo’s theory; Wilson’s theory and Roy’s theory.

Those of us, who had the opportunity to met WALDO, noticed that he truthfully represent the traditionalist spirit of the community. He was respected for being in our community for a long time, even before the new cast of officers became familiar with our department, Waldo was already present witnessing and engaging in the different issues at stake.
Waldo, in virtue of his time in the Department, saw the era of past presidents, past chiefs, past brass and even a step plan in place. An old era who reminisces still lingering in the mind of the true veterans of our Agency. Waldo argued that if an step plan existed in the past, its proof that it could also exist in the future.

On the other side we have Wilson. Wilson represents the “new guns”. Wilson, characterized himself by always being active, playful, very found of the new officers. I don’t think that he even took himself very seriously. In a last weird episode, Wilson was stabbed several times and later caught on fire while playing with flares.

Wilson, listened to Waldo, but he was spirited and adventurous, and always wanted action more than “reflections” and “stories”. Wilson wanted to see arrest, serious police work being done, MPD style. Stats policy in place, a SWAT team put together, Tazers, off duties, detachment policy, mutual agreement, step plan, take home…. The whole 9 yard! But Wilson had serious personal issues; he contradicted himself and his lack of tact make him vanishes. He caused a lot of “waves” and at the end didn’t last long.

Then Roy took place. Roy is an academic individual who lingers around the GC area. He offered a different perspective for the community. He is a skillful politician, who has a poor and blurry notion of police work. Roy’s primary concern is marketing, public perception, political correctness, social networking and an outstanding vague philosophy.

Roy certainly contributed to the demised of Waldo’s era of a raise step plan, and Roy obviously doesn’t share Wilson’s dynamic pragmatism of MPD police work style within our borderlines.
Roy is Roy, and he claims that what is needed is a better understanding of our community in order to deliver a better “costumer service” performance.

As I listened, to Waldo, Wilson and Roy talk, I realized that it would be a good idea not to incorporate one’s style at the expense of the other one. At least in my view, the three are right in their own right. the question remains if it is possible to bring the best of Waldo, the best of Wilson and the best of Roy at once?

Can the three be merged into one? What would HEGEL say of this? ........In this case, could three different theories be merged into one?

Im guessing this is based on all the chiefs past and present? Lol

No. is not based in any chief or individual. My intention is to give a “name” and a “body” to the commonly competing three thesis or approaches existent in our jurisdiction for our department.

Waldo was a literal puppet to which I was introduced the first time I arrived at the squad room. He represents the historical tendency of the department. I am not saying this by virtue of his “puppetry“, but by virtue of he being the “first one”.
Existentially, Waldo predates and pre-existed Wilson and Roy. In fact, you have to be around in our department long enough in order for you to know who Waldo was.

Remember, he is not a real person, but in my comical mind he represents the first idea or vision for our department. Whether the quality of his “puppetry” was classical or halfway is not my intention to comment. Lest say that Waldo was a real puppet not a person and that he was always “there”.

Wilson is totally different. Wilson was a real Coconut. He is made of a different “material” than Waldo. Wilson was a Coconut that was set in place in the squad room for some time. Some of the young officers used to talk to him and play with him as a way of joking.

One night, one officer “stabbed” Wilson with his pocket knife, later other guy set him on fire with a flare and lastly another one “drowned” him with the water hose. So, in this sense, Wilson represents that vision for our department which seems to be totally out of whack! Lol lol lol….. now remember this statement: “only the new ones knows Wilson”.

Lastly we have Roy. Roy is another puppet. But not any puppet, Roy or “Roary” is a panther puppet that is located at the GC. In contrast with Waldo, which was a “primitive and more pedestrian puppet”; Roy is more of a classic puppet. He wears a suit, and has being never present to our station. He is not a person, he is the official pet.

In this sense, Roy, at least in my view, represents that philosophy of law enforcement for our department that comes from the academic circles, which is totally void of any law enforcement principles whatsoever. The problem with Roy is that he represent the political and academic standards that do de facto lead us. Roy also do connect with his environment. He is the official pet (panther) and as such has a lot of influence.

The whole Satire lies in which these three competing approaches co-exist in our department. Waldo (Historical); Wilson (Radical) and Roy (Political). The three have good points and contributions to made.

In my view, we need them all. We can’t forget who we are (campus pd, not City of Miami PD) and where we are (University environment) this we learn from Waldo. Neither we can afford not to be proactive in deterring crime, this we are reminded by Wilson. But we fail if we don’t know the “how to” or the right maneuvers needed to ensure the proper support for our department while crossing these very complex and at times frustrating political currents, this we learn from Roy.

So: Waldo, Wilson and Roy are not representative of anyone past, present or future, they represent ideas or opinions, and I am persuaded that these ideas should unite instead of compete with each other.

Hope you enjoy reading lol lol lol

Yes... My dear friend Mr. Wilson. I have not heard from him in a while and I hope that he is recovering well. Having knives "thrown" at him or setting himself on fire in the lot and dont forget the waterboarding incident....

The hands of time are turning in this world within a world. The new boss says it's time for change but like our beloved president Obama... Our new boss has not changed anything. I promise you this and I promise you that....lol. Ask your self this? Is this place getting better? I keep a hopeful mind and Mabe we will head in he right direction.

Yes. This is a political place we live in and it is not the "City" so many of us compare ourselves too. But change is good. We should not be afraid to chellenge people for what we think is right...

The question is how long has the chief been promising change.

All these reminds me what happened In 1914 when an Irish man that I dearly respect, called Ernest Shackleton started what was known as the imperial trans-Antarctic Expedition 1914-1917.

The point is that, the South Pole had being already conquered, but nobody had attempted yet to cross the Antarctic continent from side to side. Shackleton had this vision.

In the so doing, his boat ENDURANCE, was trapped on an iced pack and the 28 member crew had to survived for the remaining months with whatever supplied they had aboard.

The ENDURANCE was drifted afloat a huge pack of ice till it arrived at the Elephant Island. Which is one of the most inhospitable Island on the planet! Where only penguins and seals survive.

He then decided to make an open boat voyage from Elephant Island to South Georgia where Shackleton knew that Europeans kept a full blown whaling station with the hope to find help and to rescue his crew stranded back on Elephant Island.

With only 5 other man with him Shackleton arrived at South Georgia. The problem was that they landed on the opposite side of the island. Now they had to climb the South Georgian Mountains using litter provisions as possible but hurrying as much as they could since their brothers aboard the ENDURANCE back on Elephant Island depended on them.

When they arrived to the last mountain, they realized that they had to descend a 1000 meter down slope with a 50 meter rope. After much thinking and analyzing, the 4 man team decided that they could not afford the danger of sliding down to the bottom of the mountain in a free fall through the slopes without hitting the rocks and the possibility of an avalanche.
It was at this point where Shackleton uttered the phrase that immortalized him forever: “if we cannot afford to continue forward, my question is, can we afford to stay here?”

The history goes that the five man tighten themselves with the 50 meter rope and threw themselves like a cannon ball down the icy slopes, sliding till they got to the bottom of the dangerous hill sustaining minors injuries.

Sometimes during my life when to continue pressing forward seems useless, unpleasant and even dangerous, I remember Ernest Shackleton’s words at the top of the mountain “Cant we afford to stay here?”.
The lesson is that in some instances keeping the status quo is not only unaffordable, but also unacceptable.

Some “experts” in our department are asking for changes. The New President of the University claims that a New Era had begun. Yet, things still the same. (No Off Duties No take home, No raise and No step plan).

Maybe the “New Era” slogan doesn’t apply to us. The point I am trying to make is that to continue the way we are it doesn’t do any good to nobody.
Maybe the “White House” needs to understand that our department needs more budget. Like Shackleton said “Can we afford to stay here?”….. Meaning, for us to keep operating under the present conditions will only lead us to practical mediocrity.

Shackleton died in 1922 aboard of a ship from a heart attack years later while attempting another exploration on the South Pole. He was buried at the request of his wife Norman on the South Georgian Island, the very same island that he landed and crossed on foot looking for the whaling station to find help for his stranded crew.

His statue is encrusted on the exterior wall of the Royal Geographical Society in London.

Hey Thomas, you are boring, just keep it short and simple. :devil:

Hey, thank for your opinion. I guess that this type of expositions are not of your kind. Try reading a comic book, they are usually written for people that "like to keep it simple".

:wink: