Think-A-Minute: Character Trumps Policy

Note: This post is largely inspired by completely ripped off from Wall Builders.

Governments, like clocks, go from the motion men give them; and as governments are made and moved by men, so by them they are ruined too. Wherefore governments rather depend upon men, than men upon governments. Let men be good, and the government cannot be bad; if it be ill, they will cure it. But, if men be bad, let the government be never so good, they will endeavor to warp and spoil it to their turn.

I know some say, let us have good laws, and no matter for the men that execute them: but let them consider, that though good laws do well, good men do better: for good laws may want good men, and be abolished or evaded by ill men, but good men will never want (lack) good laws, nor suffer ill ones.

-William Penn, Frame of Government of Pennsylvania, May 5, 1682


Can a country last long which elects as it's rulers those of low character, even if they proclaim wise policy? Not according to William Penn. His argument is clear, no matter how good the laws, it is the men & women in office that enforce them. And if those men & women are of low character, they whey will "warp and spoil government" to their benefit.

It therefore behooves us to ensure only good people achieve office and then to watch closely to ensure they remain good.

Think about that. And remember it whenever you're called upon to select leaders.

The Stranger

My father forwarded this message to me in an email. I'm not sure who wrote it, but the sentiment is... worth thinking about.

Long.

And Hard.

---

A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small Michigan town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on.

As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey. But the stranger...he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries, comedies.

If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He took my family to the first major league ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.

Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to the kitchen for peace and quiet. (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)

Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home... Not from us, our friends or any visitors. Our longtime visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush. My Dad didn't permit the liberal use of alcohol, but the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular Basis. He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.

I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked... And NEVER asked to leave.

More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you could walk into my parents' den today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.

His name? We just call him 'TV.'

Incidentally, he has a mistress now named Social Media, but we just call her "Socials".

Think-A-Minute: What is Responsibility?

It's a good question, and one you're likely to get wildly varying answers to in this day of moral relativism, where everyone determines his own moral truth. The Responsibility Project, by Liberty Mutual, is a series of fun and thought provoking short films that explore this question and try to get the viewers to work out an answer.

From the site:

It all began when we ran a TV commercial about people doing things for strangers. The response was truly overwhelming. Thousands of emails and letters from people all over the country thanking us.

We thought, if one TV spot from Liberty Mutual can get people thinking and talking about responsibility, imagine what could happen if we went a step further? So we created a series of short films, and this website, as an exploration of what it means to do the right thing.

We believe that the more people think and talk about responsibility, and even debate what it means, the more it can affect how we live our daily lives. And perhaps, in this small way, together, we can make the world just a little better.

The way I see it, the Responsibility Project is morally & intellectually superior to the campaign Starbucks started a couple years back. Here's why: the Responsibility Project seems to start from the premise that morality is a good thing, and deep down inside, we all know it. Starbucks campaign, on the other hand, seems to be aimed much more solidly at promoting moral relativism, the notion that all ideas are equal (ie. responsibility and selfishness are equal, depending on one's personal moral opinions). Stand to Reason has a very good take on the Starbucks campaign that we can put to use to further the truth.

Now that I have successfully segued to coffee shop talk, why don't you take a few minutes to check out the video below, from the Responsibility Project, then, Oh, I don't know, maybe talk to someone about it.