Growing up in the Presbyterian Church, I remember with clarity a simple sermon on honesty. Our minister emphasized the importance of always telling the truth, and he compared telling lies with squeezing out toothpaste. We cannot take back lies once they leave our lips, he explained, just as we cannot force toothpaste back into the tube after we squeeze it out.
The implication of this moral teaching is that there would be real consequences to telling lies and behaving dishonestly, but today our political system seems to tolerate and even reward such behavior. Perhaps that is why a clearly dishonest person like newly elected Congressman George Santos, R-N.Y., who admitted he “embellished” his resume, is likely to remain in his House seat even with angry local party officials and voters petitioning for his removal.
The individual freedoms we enjoy in the United States rely on the integrity of those elected to uphold its democratic values and laws. It seems hypocritical that politicians who claim to represent “family values” are condoning illegal acts and immoral behavior when it is in their collective interest to do so. The jury is out on whether our judicial system can deliver appropriate consequences to the past and current elected officials who have lied, committed fraud, incited violence and violated campaign finance laws.
This past week we celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., who had much to say on the topic of the honesty and integrity of our leaders. The quote below was excerpted from the “Desegregation and the Future” address delivered by Dr. King to the annual luncheon of the National Committee for Rural Schools in New York City, Dec. 15, 1956:
“May I stress the need for courageous, intelligent and dedicated leaders. … In this period of transition and growing social change, we will need leaders who are positive and yet calm. Leaders who avoid the extremes of hotheadedness and Uncle Tomism. Leaders who somehow understand the issues. Leaders of sound integrity. Leaders not in love with publicity, but in love with justice. Leaders not in love with money, but in love with humanity. Leaders who can subject their particular egos to the greatness of the cause.”
Although Dr. King was speaking in reference to implementing the May 17, 1954, Supreme Court decision outlawing school segregation, his desire for leaders with integrity seems quite timely today. As the Idaho Legislature proceeds with its work this session, one can hope they will heed his observation on the need for positive leaders who can set aside their egos and work in the public interest. The Idaho Democratic platform, adopted last June before the November elections, reinforces Dr. King’s call for justice and still applies today:
Platform pillar No. 5: “Strengthening Democracy, Fighting Extremism, and Ending Corruption: We recognize that our democracy is under immense pressure and assault at this moment in history. We strongly believe in strengthening our democratic institutions and passing reforms protecting the right to vote, enforcing anti-corruption laws, and defending against extremism and violence.”
Janice Brown is a retired consultant and the state committeewoman for the Bonneville County Democratic Central Committee.