Insuring Integrity -- Whose Job is it?

Insuring Integrity

Whose Job is it?

Or as Donald  Might Say

First clue.

“We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness; ...”

Second clue.

“We the People” have the responsibility to fight to “ensure a more perfect union” insuring those rights.

Third clue

When those rights are denied we need to through our own honesty and integrity vote to change them. We also need to hold ourselves accountable for what we do.

Donald Trump in his quest to find honorable men of integrity to help him “Make America Great” may take to heart what another reformer said when he was “Making America Great” in the first place.

People in power as the first priority need to be honest as the above quote states and next they need a passion for and a belief in a higher purpose in their work. Then they must have the merit to do the job well. Those in power need all three

Again another picture lesson from the past.

 

Case in Point

At my level.

I preface this with the first idea that we are not perfect, yet we should seek it.  Second we can only work with what we have: which leads me to my favorite saying.  "Make Do, Make it Now, Make it Work."  That I came up with about 10 years ago.  I was shocked to see a similiar quote by Teddy Roosevelt 100 years ago.

Note the difference, Teddy said "where you are", I said "make it work".  I think both convey the same idea.  Or to simplify I quote Nike's famous slogan.  Just Do It.

I was at a Muskegon event put on to help Scott Hagerstrom in his run to be Chair of the Mi. GOP. At the event I met again Brandon Hall.  I had met him over the years at a few events and thought of him as a good fella, one of us.

I recently got an email from SOS Mi. Ruth Johnson in the form of a monthly roundup of what she has done for us. In it I was shocked to see that through the facts she uncovered Brandon Hall had been found guilty of “10 counts of election law fraud on Nov. 30 in Ottawa County Circuit Court.”

Here is a Grand Haven Tribune’s article all about it.

http://www.grandhaventribune.com/Courts/2016/11/30/Jury-finds-Brandon-Hall-guilty-of-election-fraud

I am shocked to read this for two reasons. One is that this news is from November and the trial has been going on for a long time (the crime was in 2012) and I didn’t know anything about it. This citizen seems to be not as well informed as he previously thought. On top of that, previously before the current misdeed,  the article claimed Brandon was a Grand Haven School Board member and he was convicted of a misdemeanor for stealing from a school fundraiser. Wow. This fella seemed like a nice honest guy.

Secondly this has hit home. I’m saddened because I’ve met Brandon several times over the years and didn’t have a clue as to his character. The last time I met him was less than a month ago as stated above. He was making the rounds and we talked general stuff. Again I thought he was an ok guy. There were plenty of others there I was more worried about. Ha Ha what little do we know of what’s in the hearts of man from what they wear on their sleeve?

Again like Brandon Hall I too am a political junkie. I’ve seen all sorts of fraud in petition gathering most notably from the other side. Sure it crossed my mind that I could do the same, but that is where I demand of myself to try to do what’s right. I’m sorry if I’m sounding self-righteous but some point we are all tempted to cross the line. To see that possibility within ourselves and act against it is not self-righteous but rather righteous. We all have bad thoughts. The law is to punish those who act upon them.

As a rule of law type of guy I congratulate our SOS for catching that fraud and the courts for upholding the law. While I may feel empathy and sadness for Brandon I hold no one else responsible for his actions.

We protect our inalienable rights by above all else trying to be being honest with ourselves and electing others to represent us who will do the same. Defending those who cross that line in not defending our rights put endangering them.

Regards, Bob Carr
Live Dangerously, Tell the Truth
glhotdogs513@gmail.com
231-728-3455