In his recent post, my colleague Sean Mullins explains the etiology of
the distrust he feels for politicians, and I have to say that for the most part
I agree with him. While it is true that most, if not all, persons in elected
office have stretched the truth at one time or another, I feel that it isn't
voter turnout that will demonstrate frustration with untruths. Lying lays at
the root of our current culture and unless there is some radical shift in
public thought, I see no reason why we should expect more out of our elected
officials than we are willing to commit to in our daily lives. If they are
truly our representatives then shouldn't they behave as we do? Why shouldn't
they fib on their taxes and watch reality TV where everyone behaves badly? Why
shouldn't they endorse 'equal' healthcare for all Americans, as long as they
can have a separate system?
I say this tongue-in-cheek of course, because I do believe
that they should be held accountable for the decisions they make. They should
be responsible enough to enact the policies they so vigorously run on and then
have the pride of accomplishing what they set out to do. That's what I do every
day. I work hard and then can enjoy the benefits of the labor I have put in.
That is the type of representative that I will vote for, the man or woman that
can point to what they have accomplished in business, medicine, or previous
government service and demonstrate results. Do I value people that tell the
truth? Of course, anyone that doesn't isn't rational. I want to be able to trust
the candidates I vote for. But more to the point, I want to be able to trust
their actions. Character is defined more by actions over time than by words
uttered during a campaign speech. So I value the truth as spoken by
representatives, but I value the truth of their actions more.
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