Fall From (Self-Imposed) Grace

"...we need people who are in office who will hold themselves to a little higher standard."

Oct/07 - Sen. John Ensign to Sen Larry Craig after discovering that Craig's involvement in a sex scandal.

"I think [Rep. Bob] Livingston's stepping down makes a very powerful arguemtn that Clinton shoudl resign as well and move beyond this mess."

Dec/98 - Senator David Vitter arguing that an extramarital affair is grounds for resignation.

"This was a sophisticated and lucrative operation with a multi-tiered management structre. It was, however, nothing more than a prostitution ring, and now its owners and operators will be held accountable."

Apr/04 - then Attorney General Elliot Spitzer after uncovering a prostitution ring in New York.

"The issue of lying is probably the biggest harm, if you will, to the system of Democratic government, representatives government, because it undermines trust. And if you undermine trust in our system, you undermine everything."

Feb/99 - Governor Mark Sanford on the President Clinton's sex scandal.

"Voters want leaders, particularly a president, who they trust and who they think is a good person. ... If you are a person of faith, i think it adds weight to that issue of whether you are a good person."

Nov/03 - presidential hopeful, Senator John Edwards to the Washington Post on values.

Then there is Mike Duvall, Assemblyman from Yorba Linda, California who has become a Youtube sensation by divulging his sexual exploits to a colleague on a "hot mic" in an assembly meeting. Duvall, dubbed a "crusader for family values" revealed all the details of affairs he (allegedly) had with a lobbyist from the Sempra Energy Group. The 54 year old was recently voted into an ethics committee to ensure his colleagues didn't engage in such immoral behavior.

The sophmoric braggadicio of men of power is nothing new. We can trace back to biblical times and see the exploits of King David and his unethical affair with Bathsheba that ended in murder. My desire is not to judge these men but highlight the hypocrisy that they spew in the public sector. Democrat, Republican, Right-winged, Left-winged, Liberal or Conservative all of these men have donned the robe of judgement with regards to other's actions.

I feel that regardless of your place in life, when you decide to pass judgement on others, you are opening yourself and your mistakes to scrutiny. Now why on earth would people who live in the thinnest and fragile glass houses be the first to throw the largest and most damaging stones they could find. I find it reprehensible to stand before people perched high on a moral pedestal while knowing full well that your foundation is weak.

Understand that I am not advocating a silent approach to impropriety. I'm not at all suggesting that men of power should just keep their mouth shut and not pass judgment if they are dipping in the cesspool of morality. I am saying that we all owe it to ourselves to look deeply into our own lives before admonishing others.

Those who know me intimately are fully aware that I have not always walked the path of rightesnous. I have not and will not always be a man above reproach and of good standings. We all fall down. The bible speaks of a just man falling seven times and getting back up again... a just man. I am fully aware that God's grace is sufficient which is why I am quick to forgive and very slow to condemn. Do not take this entry to be a public chiding of the public chiders I illustrated earlier. I am just illuminating the fact that the world is so far from black and white. All issues must have a middle ground. I am a devout Christian who strongly believes in family values and the importance of self-sustainment. However, I can understand the plight of an atheist who happens to be gay. I can also empathize with a high-school dropout who finds it difficult to find a job. Disagreement does not have to equal condemnation. Tolerance does not necessarily equal comprimising my beliefs.

We have all been placed in the uncomfortable position of elevation. Whether it is from a spouse, children, friends or co-workers we have all been showered with accolades that immediately humbles even the most egotistical narcissist. When indulgence becomes self-indulgences and eminence is self-imposed we can find ourselves floating over very dangerous ground. No one should be comfortable with being a self-appointed anything. No one should utilize the mistakes of others to advance their careers or status. God (or fate, I choose God) has a way of kicking us off those pedestals of vanity in the exact manner in which we climbed them.

I pray that our leaders will understand that leadership is actually a subordinate role in our society. We are more than happy to follow the person who shares our morals, ethics and virtues as long as that person sticks to the script. The problem is that so many have become so drunk with the illusion of power they are willing to be deceitful and judgmental to gain it. The funny thing about any illusion is that once you learn the secret behind the trick, it just seems to lose its luster. The worst phenonemon a power-hungry castigator can experience is the realization that he is no different than anyone else. Worse still is when everyone else does.