LEADING BY EXAMPLE

 

As I listen to President Obama roll out his new immigration policy, it feels good to be an American. The recent explosion of civil rights: gender, race, sexual and now the rights of resident aliens is a breath of fresh air.  This country is finally regaining its purchase as a democratic republic to be emulated because of its values and not simply a nation to be feared because of its strength.

In foreign policy this is no small advantage. In 1939, the Roosevelt State Department found it difficult to criticize Nazi Germany’s treatment of Jews, when the American South was lynching black Americans.  More recently, Foreign Powers would find it amusing when we criticized border conflicts and treatment of immigrants in other regions, when we made no attempt to address our own outdated and unfair immigration policy. Lastly, many of the world’s leaders continue to question the civilized nature of an American Society that consumes the greatest percentage of illegal drugs and permits gun mayhem to run riot.

The importance of leading by example can never be overstated. The next test for the President and our fractious political leadership will be to show the world a new paradigm for American capitalism that will provide a beacon to the world for the next century.  This new model will not sit well with white males who were far and away the primary beneficiaries of the old economic system. But as demographics change, policies change, providing a more fertile ground for equality in America.

 Like civil rights, the Obama lead fiscal and monetary explosion will broaden participation across class and gender lines to ensure greater sharing of limited resources.  Being the last democratic nation to adopt universal health care is a start.  Adopting progressive revenue and education policies must follow.  As our Country settles down and narrows the gap between rich and poor, it will begin to feel more confident and secure.  Perhaps at that juncture, the drug and gun issues will be resolved as well.

 

 

A SMALL VICTORY FOR FAIR PLAY

  I was surprised last week, when the local Radio Shack clerk asked me to donate a dollar to Lance Armstrong’s charity, LIVESTRONG, at the end of my purchase.  Apparently the charity has not reached the same level of scorn as its founder.  Mr. Armstrong has lost all of his millions in endorsements and this week will ask for forgiveness before the public confession booth known as the Oprah Winfrey show.  For years he has maintained that there was no blood doping or ingestion of banned substances involved in his numerous cycling achievements. Now that the statute of limitations for perjury has run out, the truth will be told.

Winning at any cost and the ends justifying the means are well ensconced goals in our society.  Untrue commercials for political gain are the norm.  Accountants and tax lawyers spend their professional lives trying to beat the system for clients who can afford to pay.  Marketing experts spend their professional lives trying to sell us products we do not need that do not perform as advertized. Writers plagiarize or worse yet make up auto biographical stories to sell their material.  We all know of numerous other examples, spread throughout our daily lives.

Human nature aside, sports competition is supposed to be different.  Despite all the money at stake at the top of the pyramid, our sports heroes, no matter what their personal flaws, are to compete on an equal playing field with only their God given physical attributes.  The more cynical among us would say we need this norm to support the betting industry.  The more enlightened would argue it is important to maintain this sense of fair play to inspire our youth.

Somehow the Lance Armstrong mea culpa feels like a small victory for the importance of playing fair.  Not letting the steroid crowd enter Cooperstown feels like another.  Soccer Mothers across the land have been given some traction when explaining to their children that losing within the rules is more gratifying than winning with a lie.  Now if they could only get rid of that dreaded Sports Illustrated Swim Suit issue, which no doubt has provoked family conversations of a different kind, some of the innocence of playing and following sports could return.