What Michigan Got Right, And Wrong, after Cornelius Frederick’s Death
Author Daniel Kahneman in “Thinking, Fast and Slow” explains how two modes in our brains make decisions. One is fast/hot, an instinctive and emotional process often fueled by anger, fear or a survival response. The other is the slow/cool system, characterized by a calm and more conscious state of mind that is rational, thoughtful, deliberate and capable of making complex decisions. Both modes have their virtues and vices, depending on the circumstances in which a decision is being made.
Michigan’s responses to the death of Cornelius Frederick, a teen who was killed while being restrained by staff at a residential care facility with a history of licensing violations, were fast/hot ones. The state’s child welfare director, JooYeun Chang, sat by the teen’s bedside at the hospital so he wouldn’t die alone. Soon after Frederick passed, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) issued two executive actions specifically stemming from the incident.
In my opinion, those executive actions represent the upside and downside of fast/hot thinking.
