Lincoln’s Dilema – wayne centrone

I greatly admire President Abraham Lincoln. He was a man of sincere and unwavering conviction. He was also a person who had to take a stand in his life.

Lincoln is one of the most outstanding leaders the U.S. has ever had the privilege of producing. Many historians describe him as the “best” U.S. president in history. He came of age in an era of slavery and profound disconnection. He was a statesman who sought to unite a divided nation.

Challenged by the pressing need to end slavery and his political desire to unite his political coalitions, Lincoln faced an ethical dilemma. He knew ending slavery was the right thing to do, and he had a nation so divided that succession was alarmingly close. He had a choice: take an iterative approach to dismantling the institution of slavery and pacify the political divisions – or bend the moral arc to justice and risk further fracturing the United States.

History tells the story of Lincoln’s decision. A decision righted many wrongs and ultimately led to the end of his life. Most decisions are not as life or death as Lincholn’s. However, every day, we make decisions. Some are conscious and deliberate; others occur on autopilot.

In our work with children separated from their homes, children whose lives are upended by poverty, violence, and trauma – every day is filled with important decisions. Our team faces decisions about staffing the homes, providing the necessary resources, and ensuring the safety of the facilities. However, more than any decision regarding how we do our work, we are solidly grounded in why we do it.

Every decision we make is thoroughly grounded in our commitment to a better life for every child. There is no moral ambiguity. We are all with our efforts. We are unwavering in our actions.

The decisions we make have significant consequences. We can’t sit back and hope the change we wish to see in the lives of the children we care for will happen. We need to push forward to ensure they will happen. We don’t want iterative change.

We are dedicated to creating a world where every child, youth, and young adult can access a life built on health, hope, home, and purpose. There is no dilemma for us. It’s just full speed ahead.