Cultural Proficiency

It's Solvency Or Bankruptcy, Life Or Death?

Recognize Why And When Cultural Factors Impact Decision Making

Cultural Proficiency Training
Perry Mason

Perry Mason is called in by the Lifeline insurance company when they face a flood of questionable disability claims from men who have suffered heart attacks. Perry discovers that the mortality rate among the victims is far lower than the actuarial tables would suggest. So he sends his investigator Paul Drake to check out one of the claimants, Paul learns that Jack David is in very good physical condition so Perry asks to have him come in to have the insurance company's doctor examine him. The night before the appointment, David calls Perry but can't talk as he is being followed and fears for his life. Nevertheless and wanting to come clean with the truth, Jack struggles to make the doctor's appointment, but dies upon entering the doctor's office with his wife and lawyer before he can tell anyone what was really going on. At this point it's clear in Perry's mind that insurance fraud has been committed. However, it appears David died because he was forced to come in for an unnecessary medical examination at Perry's requests. This puts the insurance company, the doctor and Perry in a very, very hot seat. As insurance company lawyer Wallis Lamphier puts it: "it's solvency or bankruptcy, life or death" for Perry Mason. Top

When Is It Time To Fight?

On Tuesday, February 6th, 1968 in Washington, D.C. while speaking on: "A Proper Sense Of Priorities", just 58 days before he would be assassinated, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was asked a question by one of the members of the press:

"Someone said to me not long ago, it was a member of the press, 'Dr. King, since you face so many criticisms and since you are going to hurt the budget of your organization, don't you feel that you should kind of change and fall in line with the Administration's policy. Aren't you hurting the civil rights movement and people who once respected you may lose respect for you because you're involved in this controversial issue in taking the stand against the war.' And I had to look with a deep understanding of why he raised the question and with no bitterness in my heart and say to that man, I'm sorry sir, but you don't know me. I'm not a consensus leader. [ Laughter - Applause ] I don't determine what is right and wrong by looking at the budget of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference or by taking … [ Applause ] Nor do I determine what is right and wrong by taking a Gallup poll of the majority opinion. [ Applause ] Ultimately a genuine leader is not a searcher of consensus but a molder of consensus. [ Applause ] On some positions cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right. Top

Questions …

  1. Is there ever a time to fight?
  2. If so, when should you fight and when should you walk away?
  3. Again, if so, what's your motive to fight or what's your motive NOT to fight?
  4. Can the cost of fighting be too high?
  5. Can the cost of NOT fighting be too high?
  6. Could the answers to the above questions be culturally specific?
  7. If the answers to the above questions are culturally specific, if it's not your culture, is it really your fight?

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:

SCRIPTURE: Deuteronomy 3:22, Proverbs 17:14, Matthew 18:15, John 18:36, Romans 12:17, Ephesians 6:13, Galatians 5:15, 1st Timothy 6:12 …

When KING DAVID, asked the question, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel?" (1st Samuel 17:26), he had already answered the questions above and made up his mind to fight Goliath. No, it wasn't because of the rewards that the king promised for the man who killed the giant (i.e., great wealth, marriage to a princess and life-time tax exemption for his family). David's desire was to remove the disgrace from Israel and honor God. But he had to first overcome discouragement that came from none other than his own brother. When Eliab, his oldest brother, heard him speaking with the soldiers, he burned with anger at him and said, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle." We must always remember that when we decide to do something big or small to honor God, we will not always have people around us cheering for us. We may have some detractors who discourage us and the detractors maybe within our own family.

In light of all of this, I want to ask you the same question the five men from the tribe of Dan asked their brothers (Judges 18:8): "What say ye?" Top

Library's Main Floor

Cultural Proficiency Training Overview