It's Only Politics...

Most recently in the news, I have too frequently heard the mantra “It’s only politics…” in reference to the appalling shenanigans by members of the United States Congress. When members of Congress are challenged about the ethics of the “Cornhusker Kickback,” for example, it isn’t seen as an unethical action. Rather, it is dismissed as “It’s only politics.” As if to say that politics sets the rules of the game without any ethical boundaries. It sends the message that there is no accountability to the citizen voters and each other as reflected in their oath of office. The laws of politics over rides what is right and in the best interest of the citizens. Political expediency of the few far outweighs the moral values of the many. No wonder Congress has a less than a 20 percent approval rating. These are leaders to be replaced rather than follow. This attitude extends beyond politicians. We see it in business, academia, ministry, and even the home.


Mortgage loans were given to people who could least afford owning and maintaining a home. Greed coupled with the false belief that everyone should own a home set the stage for the financial debacle. Few decision makers questioned the ethics of placing people in homes beyond their abilities to pay. It became "just how business is done," "standard operating procedure." A few years ago university students plagiarized their term paper by blocking and copying the words straight off the Internet and placing them in the body of the paper. A professor put the squeeze on a junior professor to pass the three students after he had given them a grade of “F.” The professor excused their unconscionable actions with, “It’s a cultural thing. They don’t understand about plagiarism from their cultural background.” What an insult to an African American woman and two African women. Also, people use their religion to excuse unethical behavior. A Christian minister once said of a secretary who had stolen money from the church, “Let’s be Christian about this and let it go. We don’t want our church to look bad to the public.” This was an oxymoron statement about the Christian ethos he preached. Jesus wasn’t worried about his reputation when he chased the corrupt “den of robbers” out of the Temple. People use “it was a mistake” to assuage their conscience. Yet, it negates free will of the individual. Individuals who conceal the moral offense are complicit in the action and they enable the person to continue the unethical actions to a greater extent. Consider many parents readily excuse children’s misconduct in order to protect them from failure or when they don’t achieve the desired success. Not allowing our children to be morally responsible cheats them of their future and handicaps their moral decision making abilities as adults. We scapegoat our moral failures onto others and situations.


Not holding others accountable for their clearly unethical actions does them a disservice. It says that they are not worthy as fellow men and women to be challenged to raise the moral bar. In other words, they are less than. It demonstrates our lack of honor and dignity for others and for society. Loyalty is holding each other accountable rather than concealing misconduct. The only way to develop sound leader-follower skills and strengthen the moral muscle is to learn to be accountable and work through the moral challenges. It is from our proper response to moral failures that we become better people. Very little is learned from our successes. However, capitalizing on our failures leads us to success. It is an imperative duty upon citizens, families, and communities to promote ethical leadership. Perhaps we should put into practice the mantra “It’s only right...”