Quality of Character and Moral Virtuous Leadership

It was once asked, "Who's the bigger problem? Users who use and take advantage of kind, giving people, or the kind giving people who always choose users?"

This question was asked in connection with dating and reflections. It led me to pause and reflect. I see myself as among the kind, giving people. So, I naturally tend to show kindness to others, even those who are unkind. I naturally tend to give of myself, even to those who could or would take advantage of me. I tend to be one who's kind and giving even to the point of bending over backwards for others in my attempt to appease others as I sacrifice to please others.

I had roommates in the past who I behaved this way with. It seemed I was walking on eggshells in dealing and interacting with them. I felt I had to tiptoe around them out of fear of provoking or offending them. They gave the silent treatment. They got passive-aggressive. Any time they directly or indirectly criticized me, I felt something was wrong with me. I felt I need to fix or change a part of myself that was faulty, flawed, and/or imperfect. I felt everything was my fault.

This question and illustration especially gets to the heart of the dysfunction we see in US Politics & Government. It gets to the heart of everything wrong with the US two-party system. Something goes wrong. We have a crisis. Both sides point fingers at each other and blame each other. Both sides claim the other side is responsible for the crisis and got us into the mess. Then, they go around the United States in the election with what they claim to be the solution. They proclaim to the voters they, their side, has the magic wand and magic spell to get us out of the crisis. If anybody dares to challenge and push back against them on their side, they are branded traitors and/or pseudos and turncoats.

It is like a woman who had two men courting her. Both men mistreat her. Both men abuse her. They point their fingers at each other and blame the other for her being unhappy. Both men accuse her of betraying him. They claim to her they themselves could make her happy all the while claiming the other makes her miserable. Both men separately tell the woman if she would be with him instead of the other man, she will be happy and be well-taken care of.

That's what we have in the 2024 US Presidential Election. We are being forced to choose between giving four more years to one of two old men. The Democrats nominated the incumbent, Joe Biden, who's destroying and ruining the United States. The Republican Party nominated the former President of the United States, Donald Trump who's a convicted felon and a dangerous ideologue. Joe Biden calls Donald Trump a threat to democracy. Donald Trump viciously attacks anybody who's against him.

Two of the five areas of focus I had in my 2021 Campaign for Salt Lake County Republican Party Chairman were on character and on morality and virtue. I expressed the focus needs to be less on quantity of experience and more on quality of character. I emphasized the necessity for moral virtuous leadership. Weeks prior to the 2021 Organizing Convention, the Salt Lake County Republican Party was rocked by serious allegations and by resignations.

Salt Lake County Republican Party women made allegations of sexual misconduct against the County Party Communications Director. The Salt Lake County Republican Party Chairman and Communications Director resigned as a result of the allegations. I seemed to have been vindicated in my calls for quality of character and moral virtuous leadership. I issued a statement on social media I would neither harass, bully, nor intimidate anybody and would not stand for that behavior as Salt Lake County Republican Party Chairman. The delegates went for another candidate for Chairman at Convention. But, history and posterity could take a kinder view of my positions and my 2021 Campaign for Salt Lake County Republican Party Chairman.

Where is the Republican Party now?

Who controls the Republican Party now?

Donald Trump and MAGA have taken the reins and seized control of the Republican Party in a series of staged coups. Classless bullies and spineless bystanders now control the Republican Party. Tactless patrioteering cowards turned the Republican Party into a Trump cult we now know of as the Trumpublican Party. Donald Trump and MAGA turned into the very Republican Party Establishment the ranted and railed against. Donald Trump is another Establishment Presidential Candidate.

I will quote Ezra Taft Benson once again on this matter in selecting our representatives and political leadership for office.

"Unlike the political opportunist, the true statesman values principle over popularity and works to create popularity for those political principles which are wise and just."

Political opportunism is what got us into this quagmire in the first place. It is what happens when a politician, elected official, and/or candidate for elected office compromises principle for convenience and expediency. It is what happens when politicians, celebrities, and influencers capitalize on popular discontent for political gain. They swindle and gamble. They wheel and deal. They inflate currency and hike interest. They borrow and spend. Then, our government raises taxes because those in power and those with power and influence lived beyond their means, laundered tax dollars and borrowed money on interest, and wasted fortunes. Then, they point the finger at us and blame us for every crisis.

Politicians and government reply with more work for the oversight committees. They reply with more regulations and more rules of conduct. They call for more codes of ethics. The politicians and government form review committees and task forces to investigate and make recommendations for reform. It is a self-perpetuating cycle. The wrong-doers get into trouble. They get away with it with a slap on the wrist. Then, they are let go.

It is like the healthcare industry today. A teen rides his skateboard down a street into traffic. Unaware of the surroundings, a driver hits the teen on his skateboard, severely injuring him. The teen is rushed to the hospital and hospitalized. He is given doses of morphine or anesthesia, some kind of pharmaceutical drugs to dull and numb the pain. They wash the asphalt from his skin and wounds. They bandage him up. The teen is back out of the hospital after a couple of weeks.

The parents of the teen get footed with the hospital bill from the teen's treatment and care. The bill comes out to be thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. The parents sue the driver and win the lawsuit. Their health insurance covers most of the bill, leaving them with only $1000 to $2000 to pay. The teen gets his skateboard back after he fully recovers and after his parents made him swear he would not be reckless with his skateboard again. Otherwise, he loses his skateboard for a month.

A decent or reasonable parent would not let his/her reckless skateboarding teen off of the hook like that. A decent or reasonable parent would not tell his/her reckless skateboarding teen to simply stop the reckless skateboarding behavior or lose the skateboard for a month. But, this is exactly what we see happening in Politics & Government. They simply seek to treat the symptoms and band-aid the gaping holes in Politics & Government with reviews, investigations, ethics, committees, and slapping the wrong-doers with heavy fees and heavy fines they have the means and resources of being able to pay. But ,we do not see anything being done to address the root causes and cure what's wrong at its very core.

James Madison expressed in Federalist, No 51:

"What is government other than the greatest reflections of all of human nature? If men were Angels, no government would be necessary. If Angels were to govern among men, no external restraints would be necessary on government."

What's political in nature is moral in nature at its core. Political problems are moral problems at the very core. The political issues of our day are the moral issues of the day at the very core. Government is not a mere human creation. Government is a divine Creation. Government is divinely instituted of God among humanity. God created and instituted government to protect and secure our God-given unalienable rights. He is the Supreme Sovereign over the Universe and all Creation. He is the Supreme Lawgiver. His laws are supreme.

Our rights and liberty are divinely bestowed and God-given. We elect others to government to secure and safeguard our rights and liberty. We are governed by Natural Law. Government is governed by Natural Law. Humanity and government exist within a Natural Order. Humanity and government are bound to obey Natural Law. Neither humanity nor government could exist beyond the Natural Order. Government could neither surpass nor exceed the Natural Order.

Lord Acton once wrote:

"Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely."

As Chancellor Palpatine once aptly stated in "Star Wars," "Those who gain power are afraid to lose it."

This is true of many politicians and government officials. Politicians are generally not content with simply getting elected to office. They want more power and want to hold on to their office or move on to a higher elected office. Many government officials are not merely content to have a job with the government. They want to make a career out of working in government. They want to work their way up the corporate ladder in government to the top positions. Many politicians and government officials get corrupted by position, power, prestige, greed, and money as with many other occupations.

A fundamental premise of Republicanism is the belief humanity is essentially good yet corruptible. Therefore, government is corruptible as a result. A fundamental position held by Republicanism is the notion people could be taught morality and virtue. Republicanism views morality and virtue as essential and indispensable to good government. The Founding Fathers and Framers of the Constitution of the United States similarly held the view religion, morality, and virtue are essential and indispensable to liberty, self-government, and the government established by the Constitution of the United States.

Article IV Section 4 of the Constitution stipulates the US Government is to guarantee a republican form of government to the States. The US Government is to guarantee the people of the United States live under a republican form of government. This means and includes creating a moral climate among the people that's conducive to Republicanism. This means and includes a moral virtuous body of citizens in a Republic electing moral virtuous political leadership to office.

250 Continental Troops from Maryland held the British advance off on Long Island during the Battle of New York. They risked death or capture by the British as George Washington and the rest of the Continental Army retreated to Pennsylvania in 1776. The Maryland Line continued serving with distinction for the duration of the American Revolution. George Washington recognized the Maryland Line for its honorary service and distinct character. He bestowed the name Old Line State upon Maryland in recognition of the Maryland Line in the American Revolution.

Republic is derived from the Latin term, Res publica, meaning the public thing or public affairs. Government is limited in its power and authority under Republicanism. The people enjoy liberty and prosperity. They hold their government accountable in a Republic.

I am Republican. But, I am fed up with the Republican Party. I am fed up with the Liberal Republicans and MAGA Republicans. I am Republican. But, I am fed up with many within the Republican Party and Conservative Movement.

I studied Political Science in college to continue my political involvement in a meaningful way. I continue my political involvement to be a public servant of the People, by the People, for the People. I continue my political involvement to contribute to building a better world for all of humanity through statesmanship and through public service. I am Republican because Republicanism is the political philosophy.