Thursday, June 25, 2009

My Two Bits on Sanford

I wasn't really going to say anything. Another politician having an affair. Yes it's bad. No, I don't approve. There is the whole "let the man who is without sin throw the first stone" bit, and the "walk a mile in a man's shoes before you judge him" bit -- which aren't about letting people off the hook. They're about the humility of the observer(s).

The only reason I am commenting is I've seen and heard time and time again ... "yes, Democrats have affairs too BUT .... they don't run on family values." When a Democrat is caught, it's ok because he or she didn't run on family values and it isn't relevant to their job. But when a Republican is caught, it's a scandal because he or she did (presumably) run on family values.

Never mind the fact that Democrats play the family values card as well when campaigning to get votes, and then turn around and vote not to uphold them; to assist their erosion. Because the party platform dictates it.

Here's the deal. How'd the family values runners vote? Did they work to encourage family values, you know, at work? Did they stand up for those values in public even while they failed to uphold some of them in private?

If no, then, you're right. Hypocrites.

If yes, here's what I say. Give me the imperfect man who supports my ideals over the imperfect man who says they don't matter anyway.

Because they do matter whether we manage to live up to them or not.
"Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love... true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in. " - Hub, from Second Hand Lions
Update: Yeah. Crap like this.

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