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Puzzle me this…..
Rumor has it that, following the recent
abdication of one Aberdeen firefighter who
has failed to show up for work for several
consecutive weeks, our esteemed aldermen
plan to replace him through the
re-instatement of former employee and
convicted felon Roy Hazzle, Jr.. You may
recall that Hazzle brought shame upon our
city, himself and the excellent name and
reputation of his father by involving
himself in a nasty theft ring a few years
back.
My question is simple. Why on earth, in an
employers market with the employment world
overflowing with wonderfully qualified
candidates, would we stoop to hiring
somebody who has demonstrated pure contempt
for the citizenry and the law??? (It’s a
rhetorical question and, of course, I have
the answer.)
Some of our aldermen are morally scrambled,
ethically bankrupt and, as such, are unable
to do that which is required of them in
situations such as this one. Oddly, the
aldermen who have the most difficulty with
decisions such as this one are those who
profess to be ministers and/or most Godly
men.
It’s only natural for good men to want to
take the high road in matters where
forgiveness comes to the fore. Of course, on
a spiritual level, we Christians all want to
leave matters concerning the judgment of our
brethren to the Almighty Himself. This is a
good and righteous aspiration.
Unfortunately, as public servants, it is
incumbent upon our elected leaders to also
be faithful stewards of the public trust.
They must insist upon lawful behavior in all
things pertaining to the public.
Fortunately, we have policies formulated to
protect the interests of our fellow
citizens, be they taxpayers or no, and those
policies ought to be followed.
To me, it’s not at all difficult to see the
clear line of demarcation between spiritual
matters and public trust. It is vital for
our leaders to separate these two planes of
morality. As Christians, we are compelled to
have pity upon those who fail our tests. We
each perform spectacular spiritual pratfalls
– probably daily. We must, therefore, avoid
the temptation to bring judgment down upon
the eternal souls of those around us. On the
other hand, as citizens of the earth, we are
also compelled to insist upon law-abiding
behavior in our society. To do otherwise
invites chaos. Our leaders, if they are to
be effective, must carefully cultivate their
own ability to hate the sin and to love the
sinner and they must exercise this ability
perpetually. A right-headed public servant
must be able to do both of these things in
the same breath in order that he might
remain blameless as a righteous man and a
good leader.
And, so I’m left in total confusion. I’ve
wrestled with it and, sadly, have been
beaten into complete bewilderment over the
inability (or unwillingness) of some to
understand how critical to our survival
rules and regulations are. Lately, though,
I’ve seen a small glow of enlightenment.
Pardon me while I explore how skin color
seems to become a factor in matters of
lawful behaviors.
First of all, we recognize that the bad
hiring judgments made by our local board of
aldermen are generally decided – and this is
simply fact, reader friends, not an opinion
– by the three black aldermen who compose
the majority. The bad hires, as it works
out, are also black. In a community where
people of African descent are so prevalent,
this is not altogether unusual. One must
wonder, though, if there are not well
qualified NON-FELONS of any color among the
applicants. Our black aldermen have a
history of hiring and keeping black felons,
black alcoholics and black drug addicts on
the city payroll.
After facing that particular fact, we must
then ask ourselves what motivates our
aldermen to behave in a manner so very
inconsistent with their duty. Is it because,
and they would like us to believe this; they
are following their mandate to “forgive?”
Do these felon applicants really deserve a
second chance to betray the public?? Is it
our job, as taxpayers to provide them this
unearned opportunity? Do we hire them
because there are no other qualified
applicants? Perhaps is it because these
men, having demonstrated their willingness
to live outside the law, become particularly
important weapons in the arsenal of men of
wicked purpose?
Those of you who are native to Southern
society will probably chuckle at my theory
on this subject. I *think* some black people
believe they have a license to behave badly
and a permanent “get out of jail without
stigma” card. I know. This was quite an
epiphany for me. Furthermore, I *think* that
we white folks are so very frightened of
being branded “racists” that we have become
sullenly silent on the matter. Phooey!
That’s no way to run a railroad!
At my very core, I am convinced that every
member of any society must follow the rules.
It is equally mandated that we demand – not
simply “wish for” or “hope to achieve” –
that our brothers and sisters also live by
the rules. It has been this way in every
society, every nation, and every religious
group for all time. Even “gangs” – the dregs
of societal groupings – demand adherence to
a set of rules from their members.
Therefore, it is a shameful failing of ours
if we allow members of our social order to
skate away Scott-free when they fail to meet
the terms of their inclusion. To allow such
is the equivalent of moral murder.
Sadly, we Americans have followed the lead
of Lyndon Johnson and other liberal
lame-brains to a place where our application
of misplaced “pity” upon the poor and
uneducated among us has effectively crippled
several generations. If you doubt this, take
a ride around the south side of Aberdeen.
See the young men lounging jobless on the
streets? Do you see the big-bellied young
women who have been taught that popping out
illegitimate children is perfectly
acceptable behavior? These are the products
of Johnson’s “Great Society” aka The Nanny
State. What right have we to steal the
promises of productiveness from these young
people? None. How dare we condemn them (and
their offspring) to fruitless lives by
severing the ties that bind them to our
society and the bountiful harvest which only
hard work and dedication can bring to
fulfillment? This is, I fear, our culture’s
most egregious failure.
Once again, I remind you, I’m not making
moral or racial judgments. I’m simply
pointing to the facts.
Now, some folks, including the current
resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,
espouse something referred to as “Black
Liberation Theology.” This tenet teaches
that the white man has subjugated and
enslaved black folks. (I’m not sure if this
subjugation goes back to the days when
African tribesmen were selling their
neighbors to white slave ships, or if it is
a more recent development.) I believe, like
Mr. Obama, that some black folks have,
indeed, been relegated to the Gub’mint
Plantation without possibility of parole.
The issue then becomes, how do we liberate
them?
My Bible answers that question succinctly.
Teach them to fish. It can’t get much
simpler than that. (I believe Paul also said
something about “if you want to eat, you’ve
got to work.” Of course, I paraphrase.)
Conversely, to continue to give them fish
(which gifts include things like jobs
bestowed upon felons and other societal
rogues) we become complicit in their
ultimate enslavement. Translate that – if we
as a society continue reward lawbreakers
with the best jobs and benefits in the city,
we might as well volunteer to be in charge
of shackling all subsequent generations.
The message we’re sending is loud and clear.
There is no reason to attempt to excel or to
rise above the crowd! Here in Aberdeen, we
incentivize sloth and thievery.
After you think about that for a minute or
two, consider the people we continually
elect to office.
Pitiful, ain’t it?
Viki Mason
May 16, 2011
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