WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES DECEMBER 12, 2019 13
Glass ceiling for people of integrity
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BY PHILIP FOGLIA
Glass ceilings are unofficially
sanctioned impediments to
professional advancement that
have traditionally stymied women and
minorities from navigating traditional
paths to success in a chosen vocation.
Honesty and integrity in our politics
and government, virtues that are normally
admired, are now traits that will
short circuit a career for offi ce seekers
or other public servants.
Consider the controversy over
whistleblowers. Whistleblowers are
individuals who expose information
or activities that are illegal, unethical,
wasteful or harmful within an
organization or government entity.
While many governmental agencies
have internal aff airs divisions and
Inspectors General to root out such
activities, they can’t be expected to
uncover all improprieties. Individuals
in the trenches are relied upon to
report suspect activities. It is crucially
important to encourage and support
these people. Instead we see a rash of
corruption apologists calling them
spies and even surveillance by law
enforcement being described as spying.
Honesty and integrity are unfortunately
not part of the equation.
It’s even worse in our political system.
Personal honesty and integrity
are virtues one would think are basic
characteristics necessary for election
to office. In today’s political world
they guarantee failure. Today’s political
culture is a far cry from what our
Founding Fathers envisioned.
John Adams said, “Always stand on
principle ... even if you stand alone.”
George Washington said, “I hope
that I shall always possess fi rmness
and virtue enough to maintain what I
consider to be the most enviable of all
titles, the character of an honest man.”
Thomas Jeff erson said, “The whole
art of government consists in the art
of being honest.”
Thomas Paine declared, “He who
dares not off end cannot be honest.”
It’s not just that integrity is out of
fashion, truly honest men and women
are shut out of the political process.
Individuals not willing to compromise
their values or abandon morality
simply cannot succeed in our current
political climate. Not to be confused
with compromise on issues, integrity
requires truth telling, transparency
and advancing the well-being of the
country, not individual ascendancy.
Our Founders wisely knew that in a
large democratic republic compromise
would have to occur or oppression by
one view or another would tear the
country asunder. But it had to be done
intelligently and virtuously.
Compare the Founders previously
quoted with those on the political
scene today where lying and hypocrisy
are the norm. Childish name-calling,
demonization of people who disagree
and telling demonstrable lies are the
currency of our so-called leaders. The
sad reality is that a person of virtue
cannot succeed in our current political
climate and deviousness is rewarded
at the ballot box. So deeply divided is
our nation that we are willing to accept
outright lies from our leaders if
they are from our side of the political
spectrum.
In his Farewell Address, George
Washington wrote, “It is substantially
true that virtue or morality is a
necessary spring of popular government.”
He believed that America was
becoming one of the great nations of
the world and give to mankind “the
magnanimous and too novel example
of a people always guided by an exalted
justice and benevolence.”
Currently we are not living up to
that aspiration.
Phil Foglia is a former state and
federal prosecutor and Special Deputy
Inspector General
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