On the front page of the L.A. Times there's a photo of San Diego Congressman
Randy "Duke" Cunningham tearfully confessing is guilt to bribery and tax
evasion.
On an inside page of a local Southern California newspaper, the Daily Breeze,
we're told that Paul Bryant, an assistant football coach at San Pedro High
School with 23 years of service, was suspended for at least one year for blatant
cheating. Bryant was caught on videotape moving the first-down marker to help
his team advance into the state playoffs. After being confronted with the tape,
he apologized, saying his decision to cheat was spontaneous and erroneous.
I cite these two examples of integrity failure not to equate them - Cunningham's
violation was far worse - but to highlight the range and pervasiveness of
corrupt thinking, the undeniable reality that everyone's character will be
tested by temptations, the crucial importance of moral clarity and strength, and
finally, the huge personal cost of dishonor.
Though Cunningham will go to jail, his plea bargain to limit his sentence to no
more than 10 years is a good deal considering the 25-year terms imposed on execs
at WorldCom, Adelphia, and Tyco - all the more so since he took more than $2
million in bribes, far and away the worst case in recent Congressional history.
But what brought tears to his eyes was the recognition that he will serve a life
sentence of shame for disgracing himself and his family.
Bryant's suspension from coaching is a significant penalty in the sporting
world, but it's nothing compared to the humiliation of knowing he will be
forever labeled as a teacher and coach who dishonored his team and school and
embarrassed his friends and family by cheating to win a high school football
game.
I suspect both men are truly sorry, and on a personal level I feel compassion
for them and their families. The problem is: We don't need more criminal
convictions; we need more moral convictions. We don't need more contrite
confessions; we need more committed character.
Remember, character counts!
C. xxxx Josephson Institute of Ethics; reprinted with permission. For further
information visit
www.charactercounts.org
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