In my blog yesterday I talked about the perils of pulling a Brian Williams in business by lying to get ahead. Mr. Williams is really an insignificant player in the broad scope of things, but something that has come out of this story should cause all of us to pause and reflect on where we've gone as a nation.
You see, in Mr. Williams's case, he "mis-remembered" being shot out of the sky over Iraq. When Hillary Clinton relayed how she was dodging Bosnian bullets she was just tired and "misspoke." When Larry Craig solicited the guy in the stall next to him in a Minneapolis airport bathroom he just had a wide stance while doing . . . (you get the picture). He wasn't really encouraging a rendezvous with the off duty police officer. Yeah, right. When Jim Bakker, of PTL fame, did the comforter tumble with Jessica Hahn he was stressed out and needed some relief. I hear you buddy, but the bimbet down the street wasn't your blow up doll.
This list could go on forever. It doesn't matter if it's a political figure, religious leader, the head of the PTA, a law enforcement officer, your brother-in-law or your best friend, the ability to avoid accountability for life choices has become a nationwide sport.
It's no wonder people go into contracts with no fear of breaking them. That's what people do. Contracts, a person's word, personal behavior, accountability, dependability, integrity, morality have become negotiable. I call it situational honesty, integrity, morality, etc. Just fill in the blank. Many will be honest until their back is against the wall and they need to lie their way out of a mess.
Over 20+ years, I've worked with a few clients whose first response to anything was a lie. It was only after the lie was confronted that the truth surfaced. Why should we have to do that dance over and over? Too often, it has become the accepted response.
When a politician is confronted with a moral failure the default response is to deny. The cover-up begins and the story takes on a life of its own. It's only after zealous reporters (and that can depend on which political party the liar belongs to) dig and dig that the dirt-bag finally confesses. He/she suddenly remembers that he/she misspoke, mis-remembered or mistakenly thought that everyone was so enamored with his/her presence and value that they would overlook his/her foibles.
This is one time where my 16 years of working inside our nation's prisons have helped me immensely. You see, most liars are not all that good, but inmates have years of practice perfecting the craft. When you can see through their lies it helps equip you to see through those on the outside.
My point is this, why are we accepting this kind of behavior from anyone? Brian Williams should have been given a box to load his desk into and then the security officer should have watched him leave the building. But, the truth is, NBC is weighing their options because Williams has been a hot commodity. No, actually, Mr. Williams is a pathological liar who is asking us to trust him with the news. Does that give you confidence in his reporting?
If we are willing to accept this kind of behavior, it will continue. Until we're willing to call bad behavior bad behavior it will continue. Until we've had enough of politicians saying one thing before November and doing something else after November they'll continue disappointing us. The United States has lost its moral compass and righting this starts with each individual. If you've had enough, stand up, speak up, stop supporting bad behavior with your presence and your treasure.
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