Norman E. Taylor*
How does one write a meaningful community safety and well-being editorial in the midst of a rapidly unfolding global pandemic of epic proportions, and as yet untold consequences?
The answer is, one does not. This is no time for editorial commentary. It is a time for courageous and knowledgeable public health and public policy response. We are truly blessed to have, throughout the world, well-educated public health, medical, and emergency response professionals who in many ways have been training their entire careers for this event.
Nonetheless, no amount of training, planning and modeling can ever be enough to fully anticipate and prepare, and new learning is occurring now at lightning speed across the global response system. Not every answer will be correct, and not every policy decision will be adequate to the challenge. A direction that seems correct on one day may be upended, updated, and re-directed on another.
At times like this, perfect is indeed the enemy of good.
The Journal simply wants to thank all of those working on the front lines for all the good they are doing, using the best of their knowledge and abilities, creating new evidence and experience to inform us all for the future, and working tirelessly at great risk and personal expense to themselves and their own families.
There is so much we all stand to learn on the other side of this. We will be ready to do our part in sharing in that learning. In the meantime, we can all follow their advice, draw upon their inspiration, and do whatever is necessary to keep each other safe and well.
The author has continuing business interests that include providing advisory services to communities, police services, and related human service agencies.
*Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being.
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Journal of CSWB, Vol. 5, No. 1, April 2020