Political deflection: Elected officials pointing fingers of blame at anything or anybody, rather than taking responsibility for an action taken that turns out bad, or an action that should have been taken, but wasn’t. It often includes phrases like, “putting children at risk,” endangering this or that group of people, and “they’re breaking the law.”

There’s a lot of political deflection going on these days, mostly at the federal level. But, make no mistake, there’s plenty happening right in your own back yard.

Plymouth Town Council’s meeting Monday evening, February 10, was a five-hour exercise in futility, with not much getting done — other than honing their skill at kicking the can down the road.

Among the things that stood out to me — probably because the fingers of blame pointed at me — came during the police department’s report.

Chief Louis Banks didn’t like something we reported (another day ending in Y). Councilwoman Mary Nixon chimed in that she doesn’t like The Beacon reporting ongoing staffing shortages in the police department.

People on the street already know what’s going on, she said, adding, “The newspaper puts officers in danger.” Councilwoman Mary Ann Byers agreed.

So, let me get this right.

1. People on the street already know there’s only one Plymouth Police officer on duty at a time; but
2. It’s the newspaper’s fault officers are in danger with only one on duty at a time.

Got it.

Using that logic (and I have trouble with this kind of logic),

1. It’s the newspaper’s responsibility to make sure there are at least two police officers on duty at a time, or
2. It’s the newspaper’s responsibility to keep council’s unwillingness to solve a problem they’ve known about for months a secret from taxpayers.

C’mon Marys. Council should have taken action to solve this situation months ago, but you’re too busy arguing among yourselves, too consumed with sticking to personal agendas, or too focused on keeping the people’s business secret to solve anything.

Your manager has presented possible solutions, which don’t even get a fair hearing, let alone serious discussion.

Whether or not your police officers are at increased risk because you allow them to work alone is on you, not me.

It is very telling, though, that you think it’s fine and dandy for people on the street to know what’s happening with your department, but you want our readers to be kept in the dark.

It is this newspaper’s job to tell our readers, to be best of our ability, what’s going on in Washington County, North Carolina, including government entities.

By doing that, we hope citizens will hold elected officials accountable for actions they take that turn out bad, and for actions they should — but don’t — take.

It is a job we take very seriously, and if you don’t like it, I, quite frankly, don’t care.

How ‘bout you do a better job and we won’t have anything negative to report?

If, as you like to tell people, we never report anything positive, maybe you should quit making it so easy to report the negative.

Just a thought, but I know it’s easier to point the fingers of blame.