Government Ethics

“Well done is better than well said.” – Benjamin Franklin (founding father)

“…in all your Amours you should prefer old Women to young ones…Because there is no hazard of Children, which irregularly produc’d may be attended with much inconvenience.”-Benjamin Franklin (father of an illegitimate child)

I read a story this week about an ex-convict that threatened the president, talked about raping his wife, and made a blog fantasizing about pedophilia and incest.  This white-supremacist is running as an Independent for Virginia’s congress.  You never want to have your laws made by the same people who break laws.  This same week Missouri’s governor, Eric Greitens, resigned to avoid criminal charges.  He referred to this scandal as a “witch hunt”, referring loosely to the Salem witch trials.  It is worth noting that in Salem, women with no standing or rights were drowned, stoned, and burned to death for “magic” that they had never even attempted.  Mr. Greitens was the most powerful man in the entire state of Missouri who admitted to having affairs, and hiding the sources of his campaign contributions.  His defense is simply that his actions were legal, though possibly unethical.  This is usually the point when my Republican friends, point out democrats are even more outrageous.  Just watch the documentary about Anthony Weiner.

I understand that people around the world are concerned that Americans seem to be losing faith in their government, and their officials.  Because we are a democracy it begs the question-do voters want the people who represent them to be ethical, or at least obey the current laws?  Or (the world theory goes) are there anarchists voting that want to weaken our government in hopes we can come up with something better?  Personally, I would like to see our government (every party) use better leaders with better role models.  Everything I’ve ever seen and heard leads me to believe that to find better ethics we need more personal accountability.

The Office of Government Ethic (OGE) does not take any complaints or have any actual authority.  Congress has committees to investigate, but then who watches the watchmen?  The Department of Justice (DOJ) has more regulations for public officials.  The DOJ can investigate Congressmen, and even the President of the US.  We now know that Michael Horowitz, the Inspector General of the DOJ, is the one man who investigates the DOJ investigators.  In summary, our government has a system of checks and balances designed to work independently and hold people accountable.  For our system to work, it must remain independent.  Loyalty to any person or party would undermine the objectivity.  Finally, voters must be more active and well informed to avoid corruption and pedophiles in politics.