Back
when I was a cop,
many years ago, we
had an ordinance
that allowed us to
put folks in jail
for “association
with known
characters.” This
basically meant that
if you were out
running around with
burglars, robbers,
dope dealers,
prostitutes and
whatever you were
subject to being
arrested yourself.
I’m sure that
ordinance has long
since been
overturned and is no
longer on the books,
but it was there for
a reason and is
useful for my column
this week.
What they were
trying to enforce
was the fact that if
you were always in
the company of bad
guys, then there
must be something
wrong with you as
well. The old lie
down with dogs and
get up with fleas
analogy. You were
judged by the
quality of your
friends. It was
simple.
Today we are in the
midst of a great
race for the
position of
President of the
United States of
America. Probably
the most powerful
position on our
planet. We have (at
this point) three
candidates trying to
make their way to
November in the
hopes one of them
will be elected.
All three have had
their character
examined in the past
several months. I’m
certain all three
will undergo much
more scrutiny before
this is all over.
Politics is a very
physical game and
not for the faint of
heart.
What is surprising
to me is the number
of citizens out here
who appear on the
news each night and
shrug off character
flaws as if they
were nothing. These
people don’t appear
to be concerned over
allegations about
the candidates. No
matter if the
information is
verified or not.
They allege that
‘these things are
private’ and don’t
matter to them.
The man on the
street also seems to
turn a blind eye
when it comes to the
friends and
associates of the
candidates.
Doesn’t character
count for anything?
Are we so blasé and
foolish that we can
convince ourselves
that the people who
are close friends of
any publicly elected
official , no matter
at what level, do
not exercise some
degree of influence
over the elected
official? Do you
think that people
who donate millions
of dollars to
someone’s campaign
do so out of the
purity of their
heart without ever
wanting something in
return?
I don’t think so.
Aren’t we known by
the company we keep?
As someone once
wisely said…”Show me
a man’s friends and
I’ll show you the
man.” I have to
believe that the
talking heads we see
each night on the
news choose to
ignore the real
concerns a lot of us
have about the
quality and
character of the
candidates running
for public office.
None of us want
crooks in any
position to exert
authority over us,
nor do we want
persons of low moral
character to run our
nation. In my mind
the person behind
the scenes very much
controls the visible
person in any move
that he or she
makes, or will make
in the future.
We ask, no, a better
word is demand,
character in our
police officers and
church officials. If
this is important,
and it is, then why
isn’t character
important in
political races as
well? How can we
elect judges whose
campaigns are funded
by the very
attorneys and law
firms whose cases
will soon appear in
those courts? How
can we allow
lobbyists to control
pieces of
legislation which
results in laws that
have grave effects
upon all of us?
Character is defined
as the things you do
when no one is
around to see. So,
how can a lack of
character be called
‘private’ when we
are trying to choose
someone who has the
ability in their
hands to lead us
into nuclear war or
economic chaos? How
can someone’s
personal life be
kept separate and
secret when you are
representing an
entire nation of 300
million persons?
Don’t your actions
speak volumes about
your beliefs and
judgment? Are we to
blindly accept only
your public side
without being
concerned over your
personal side as
well as the people
you associate with?
If you have no
character in the
small things, how
will you react to
the big things?
President of the
United States, in my
mind, is a very big
thing.
Character counts,
don’t forget it.
