Two Guys from the Neighborhood, Sort of

So now comes the sordid saga of Rod from Chicago. I’ve never met the soon to be ex-governor of Illinois, but I’ve known people like him my whole life. Growing up in Queens, wannabe tough guys—whether physical or political—were around. Their profanity-laden tirades are part of the package. In every sense, these guys are bullies, unattractive, despicable. Often, they have a charming demeanor or other pseudo redeeming qualities that disguise the greedy motives that drive their egocentric behavior. In the end, though, it’s all about them. Service to others fuels their rhetoric but any collateral good that may come from their actions is merely a coincidence. If others benefit from their activities those “good works” become a shield for the more shady revelations that inevitably follow. So whether Rod is like those guys or not will be decided by history and the legal process, but the images resonate as we watch this latest melodrama unfold

During our current recession, greed and self-interest will continue to be in the spotlight. We can rail at CEOs who take millions while their companies crumble, unions that demand inflated wages for a few while others lose everything, and politicians who forget the meaning of the oaths they solemnly swear. But two ideas must move to the forefront and stay there in this season of goodwill.

First, we have to be vigilant and demand that our “watchdogs” in the mainstream media along with bloggers and community journalists expand their efforts in holding those in power accountable. Speaking truth to power must be even more highly valued during these difficult days.

Second, we need to honor those who serve, and service as a value. Our spiritual traditions teach us about service—even love--for our fellow humans, and demand fidelity to higher values, whether called God or something more secular. Service, after all, is the essence of good leadership.

Finally, a look back at the old neighborhood would reveal many characters categorically more noble than Rod from Chicago. For every Rod another name in the news comes to mind, General Eric Shinseki. Men and women like Shinseki are the real tough guys, the good ones. Most didn’t go to West Point and earn four-star commissions, but they go to work every day and make important differences in the lives of others. They work as first responders and teachers, nurses and doctors, aides who change bed pans and entrepreneurs who fix everything from computers to toilets. Of course, the list goes on; they are honest people who care.

Gen. Shinseki spoke truth to power as army chief of staff. He told his bosses what they didn’t want to hear. He lost his job over it. But he demonstrated integrity. So for every Rod from Chicago we have brave women and men who simply speak the truth, because the greater good trumps their own interests. So wherever you grew up, whether a big city like New York or Chicago, or someplace smaller, reflect about those you know and whom you would really trust. Those like Gen. Shinseki are tough guys in the best sense; the wannabes, like Rod, are nothing more than sad tragedies who hurt themselves, their families, and the rest of us.