Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

I think we have returned to the “don’t ask, don’t tell” philosophy of the past.

President Obama’s staff deliberately kept him in the dark about an impending report on the Internal Revenue Service scandal. White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday during his daily briefing with reporters White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler had been notified a Treasury Department inspector general’s audit report was on the way but decided it “wouldn’t be appropriate” to tell the president.
(United Press International)

Now, I understand that perfectly. We just experienced the same problem here at the Church. Last week our Building and Grounds Superintendent advised me that heavy, black smoke was coming from under a door on the South side of the building. He wasn’t sure it was fire – he had seen no flames. I asked if the fire alarm was going off. He assured me it was, and the Fire Department had been dispatched. He has chosen to silence the alarm before it began – it causes such a disturbance.

I had to make a decision about letting the Pastor (in his office doing whatever it is he does) know about the possible fire. I concluded that he was in the opposite end of the building, busy (???), and surely had more important things to think about than a fire down a hall and in an area he seldom frequents. There would be plenty of time to inform him after the fire personnel arrived (I am pretty sure he can still hear a siren) or when the building could no longer be saved.

Now, there. See how much sense that makes!!

(For those of you concerned about the building (and the fire alarm- and the silencing stuff, and the Fire Department) this is an allegory.