Politics were not intended as a profession

    Lately in the news it seems as if we have been confronted with terrible stories about what keeps happening in our political arena. The most recent of these stories, one that involves a self-admitted alcoholic who claims he was molested by Catholic priests, seems to be the most prevalent right now in American media.  Mark Foley, a republican from Florida, has been involved in an ongoing scandal concerning his possibly sexual and illegal relationship with an underage page.          Mr. Foley is not the only one to come under scrutiny concerning his unethical and possibly illegal deeds in recent years, though.  It wasn’t that long ago when a democratic Mr. Bill Clinton got himself in hot water for his encounters with a lady named Monica in the Oval Office. In truth, it would seem that unethical and morally wrong behavior tends to favor both parties.  If one was to keep up with the flow of political media coverage through the years, they would most assuredly find that every couple of months, a politician from both sides of the fence seems to get themselves in quite a disturbing bind.
    I know that I’m not alone when I say that these types of actions disgust me. Of course, Foley’s actions disturb me mostly because it involved an underage boy.  Clinton’s actions upset me because he was married and had a lack of respect for his wife and his family. But both situations upset me for another reason:  Both of these men controlled large segments of our country’s power, which they then used to meet their own totally unethical desires. 
    These two individuals are not the only political figures that are guilty of this, however. This method of thinking seems to be a constant theme in our political arenas nowadays, even down to the local levels. The concept that political position is directly related to power and/or money is very prevalent in today’s political society.  Many politicians consider politics their “profession.”  This view is one that is in direct contrast to how our country was founded.
    Being a political figure commands great power, but also should command great respect.  This respect, however, should not come from those who appreciate the cunning it takes for one to hold on to power. This respect should come from citizens who appreciate what one has given up to do this public service, as well as what one has accomplished.  The main commitment of a politician should be shared between one’s health, one’s family and the community, with all other commitments coming after. 
    Also though, it is important to realize that, as citizens, it is our job to insure we vote for those with a proper moral basis. Now, this does not mean we should insure they follow our religious views also, which seems to be a constant misperception. No, we as citizens need to consider the good of the majority, as well as the moral views of EVERY citizen.
   
Send responses to
colonnadeletters@gcsu.edu

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 13 2006. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry