Rebuilding Character and Integrity in the United States from the Bottom Up by Jon Searles

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	Rebuilding Character and Integrity in the United States from the Bottom Up
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	Submitted Saturday, July 05, 2008
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He was 4 years old and we were leaving our local Wal-Mart. As we walked through the parking lot with his little hand wrapped tightly in mine my son reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a small dinosaur. Now, it was not unusual to find a dinosaur in a 4 year old boy's pocket, but it was unusual to find one with a price tag still attached with a nylon cord.

"Where did you get that?" I asked, knowing the answer much like God knew the answer he would get from Adam when he asked about the apple.

"In the store" he answered in a four year old voice with a four year old smile.

That was the moment of life lesson that need not be wasted. That was a point of life lesson that needed to be handled at that moment with harsh discipline and firm parenting. I knelt in front of him and explained his transgression and explained that we were going to back inside, find a manager and tell them what he did. A four year old understands theft; he had just not made the connection as to the different levels of acceptable and unacceptable behavior and in this case, theft. After all, Wal-Mart is a big store with lots of dinosaurs; surely they would not miss one that had been found on the floor.

Our society is much like my four year old son justifying the dents and scratches on our character and integrity by rating the infractions or passing judgment on those who are wronged on a sliding scale of acceptance rather than focusing a disapproving eye upon the man or woman that stares back at each of us from the mirror. It's okay to keep the extra change given by a store clerk in error since the store is obviously richer than I, it is okay to cheat on my taxes and keep my money since the government will squander it anyway, it's okay to download pirated music off the internet because record companies only care about profit, and it's okay to steal from my employer since he doesn't pay me enough and he will not notice it anyway.

It is the little things that seem to be eroding our character and integrity in our society. After these little things we are appalled by the big things that happen up the social and economic ladder. We wonder why we are surprised by the dishonesty of politicians, the deceitfulness of business owners, and the treachery of fallen clergy. I submit that the erosion of American character and integrity is starting at the bottom and continues to proliferate throughout. Once we have dragged the powerful transgressors into the light we are amazed by the heartlessness and arrogance of those we accuse and yet we do not see the evil in our own hearts.

So I ask you, should the rich, arrogant, and powerful be examples to the poor, meek, and weak, or should the poor, meek, and weak be examples to the rich, arrogant, and powerful? What do John F. Kennedy, Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Louis Armstrong, Rudyard Kipling, Stan Lee (creator of Spider Man) and the Word of God have in common? Well they all through paraphrase in stories and speeches said the same thing. Since the word of God would be the oldest version of the theme as it is found in the King James version of the Bible from the book of Luke with words attributed to Jesus "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." Contrasting with Stan Lee's Spiderman "With great power there must come great responsibility" In Stan Lee's words he is talking about a fictional young man who becomes and superhero and in the words of Christ he is speaking to those who have disappointed the master in a parable and must face their punishment because of their lack of faithfulness and example.

I pull around behind the building that houses the warehouse of my company. We are in the process of remodeling an old building in a part of town that needs some updating and opportunities for employment. As I round the corner I see trash dumped near a sign I posted that reads "NO DUMPING" and I realize by the open transformer enclosure that someone has stolen the electrical wires we had stored in the locked structure. These are not the rich and powerful that have committed these crimes, but the poor and destitute scratching for an existence. These may be minor crimes in the eyes of most, but an example of the constant erosion of character and integrity in our society.

Some of you will feel that the poor are justified so they can eke out a basic existence since they cannot afford to dispose of their trash nor make ends meet to feed their families without stealing from those that have something that they will need to survive. I submit that the thinking is flawed in its basic precept. We must begin rebuilding the character and integrity of those at the very bottom of the social and economic ladder since those at the top fall into the category of "too far gone". It is the population at the bottom that will demand more of the people at the top and begin to see that the leadership they have allowed to prosper is not the leadership that is acceptable. Many of today's leaders came from the humble beginnings of immigrant and poor families only to become one of the privileged that prey on those that fight to survive. If those in the elite positions of authority and power realize that they cannot live their lives outside the guidelines of acceptable character traits demanded by those they serve, we may be able to witness real change. If some are able to rise from humble beginnings into positions of power and authority and can take with them the lessons learned, they too could call for real change.

I am a reluctant supporter of the death penalty and I guess it comes from what I call my Old Yeller principle. Old Yeller was a great friend and dog for young Travis Coates (book written by David Mullich) but when Old Yeller is infected with rabies he must be put to death. There is no way to cure and no way to rehabilitate the dog. His mind is infected with a disease that cannot be reversed. Reluctantly I feel the same way about some people. My heart goes out to those that have been mistreated, abused, and miswired to become adults that cannot be cured or rehabilitated, but how else can the spread of the disease be stopped. Because my faith tells me only Christ can enter someone's heart through a personal relationship it is hard for me to accept that certain men and women are capable of letting God into their hearts and lives. The infamous murdering cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer is said to have accepted Christ before he was murdered in prison and the truth of that is only known by Mr. Dahmer and God.

So, how do we nurture and strengthen character and integrity within our society. Harsher sentences for those in power positions? Tougher laws? Nurturing social and family programs for the poor? I chose to start with a life lesson with my 4 year old son in a Wal-Mart parking lot. How do you choose to strengthen the character and integrity of the world around you?

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» left by sue thom from nj (1 year 126 days ago.)

hi jon, i have read many of your articles, and i have to tell you, this is my favorite. every word was filled with descriptive images and thoughtful provocation. i have 3 children, and thought it best if i tried my hardest to instill in them honesty, respect, loyalty, responsibility, altruism and spirituality. through my writing, i hope i can spread the words that back your article, in all i have to offer, which is my God given gift for writing and expressing my ideas. thanks for sharing,
sue
p.s. great lesson for your son-he'll always remember it, i have heard adults tell stories of the same thing happening to them at around that age, so they still remember, and a good move on your part.

» left by robert melaccio sr. (1 year 126 days ago.)

An outstanding article that gets to the point of it all. You did a fine job of walking us through what we need to be doing, everyone of us as individuals. It is certainly easier to see the wrong in others and it is even easier at times ot make excuses for wrong. Yes it is even easier as you pointed out to even bring Jesus, the Word into it as an excuse to condone wrong. It is sadly so much harder to see our own faults [planks] and pull them out. Yes and the lesson you defined is one that must be given to our little ones so they to can understand values, integrity, honor, virtue which builds character. Yes in the littlest of things are the building blocks of great people. Yes not only in our words but in what we do or fail to do. This is the essence of who we are as individuals, neighbors, family. Thanks you for the excellent article and best wishes.

» left by Jon Searles ^(2,108)
Jon Searles (1 year 126 days ago.)
Robert, thank you so much for reading. I have read several of your current articles concerning your focus on the upcoming elections and your focus on those who have let us down for so long. Keep writing and thank you again for your comments and insights.

» left by Anonymous (1 year 126 days ago.)

comparing a human being with a dog with rabies. I certainly do not see a similarity there . Some of these thieves are working for the Lord. One of Johnny Cash's songs singing at San Quintin. [lyrics]"San Quentin what good do you think you do, do you think I'll be different when your through."

» left by Jon Searles ^(2,108)
Jon Searles (1 year 125 days ago.)
David,
At times the analogies I use only work in my head. I think men through upbringing, chance, or experience become no better than animals and should reach the same end. Difficult to balance with the love of man taught by our Lord. Thank you for reading.

» left by David Tanguay ^(9,577)
David Tanguay (1 year 126 days ago.)
I am the anonymous above. I forgot to log in.

» left by Laura Trahan (1 year 125 days ago.)

Jon-I thought your writing was riveting! You made some great points and analogies that have really stirred my thought and emotions! I think you are right that teaching character in our own children is probably the most important first step. I think it is easy as parents to become tired and overlook some wrongdoings. After all, our kids are facing the same pressures we are to make it to the top. Thanks for the reminder that Christ is who we should be living for and the motivation to pass that principle on to my children. Teaching them character is the way to rebuild character. Thanks for sharing!

» left by Jon Searles ^(2,108)
Jon Searles (1 year 125 days ago.)
Laura,
Thank you for reading! I definitely think character must be taught at home. School, work, peer groups, and society just do not seem to be good places to build strong character.

» left by Avis Ward ^(11,455)
Avis Ward (1 year 125 days ago.)

Riveting! Though-provoking! Focused! A Call to Action! Jon, the scriptures woven into this article to make your points were right on point. I loved how you started with your son, the analogy of Ode Yeller Principle (although I oppose the death penalty) and ending with your son's innocent act to support your title. I thoroughly enjoy reading your work. Thank you for an outstanding read! :)

» left by Jon Searles ^(2,108)
Jon Searles (1 year 118 days ago.)

Avis,

I seem to only have a few moments each day to check Searchwarp and write. Thank you for reading.

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