8 Jan 14

“Quality” People in Government?

A KY State Representative had an ND with her carry-pistol (Ruger LCP) inside her office, within the state capitol building, yesterday. No injuries, but too loud to be covered-up, which it surely would have been otherwise!

Had you and I done precisely the same thing, we would have been arrested and charged (correctly) with “reckless endangerment, “conduct regardless of life,” or something similar. This politician was, of course, never arrested, never charged with anything, and the whole incident was quickly swept under the rug. Politicians really have made a special class of citizens of themselves, and, as we see here, arrogantly hold themselves above the law, and way above the rest of us. They think we don’t notice!

When confronted by a reporter about the incident, this politician, first and foremost, oh so piously professed her innocense! Then, she insisted she was “following her training” (she needs to get a refund!). She concludes with “… it happens,” as if she were merely an innocent bystander, describing a flood or an asteroid striking the Earth!

Of course the mealy-mouthed reporter never asked her any hard, nor even relevant, questions, like:

“Was there any legitimate reason for you to be handling this gun, or any gun, within your capitol office to begin with?”

“When your press the trigger on a gun, why are you astonished when it discharges? Isn’t that what it is supposed to do? Isn’t that why you have it?”

“Will you be as gushingly forgiving of the next person who has an ND, as you obviously are of yourself?”

“Is it strictly legal for you, or anyone else, to carry a loaded gun within the state capitol? Can I?”

Many of us have had NDs, so I’m not singling out this particular incident for excessive criticism, at least for the ND itself. The point of this Quip is to call our attention to a serious character flaw exhibited by this politician, and most others:

For lack of a better term, the character flaw is “narcissism”

It manifests itself, as we see in this incident, by an absolute refusal to accept the slightest personal responsibility for personal mistakes, blunders, crimes, and errors. Even in the absence of any particular mendacity, narcissists violently insist that they are completely blameless, no matter what happened. They blame the gun, their trainers, their parents, the weather, their underwear, but never themselves.

You’ll never hear them say, “I made a mistake, and I regret it.” No way! You may hear them say they regret the bad thing(s) that happened Yes, don’t we all? And, they always regret getting caught. But, they predictably, and ever so sanctimoniously, disconnect themselves from any individual culpability.

This is the appalling example we see constantly set in state capitals everywhere, as well as in Washington DC. It is a pernicious, deadly individual character flaw that is destroying this civilization, and we tolerate it, indeed, expect it!

First (1) cover-up, then (2) denial, then (3) professed ignorance, then (4) blame-shifting, then (5) excuse-making. In our age, the foregoing is standard procedure. This is why modern politicians don’t even “get it,” when they’re insulted, embarrassed, and shamed!

The ability to rigorously and honestly hold yourself accountable, to repent of your errors, is vital to the mental health of all of us. Without it, you have no personal honor, and never will!

Our politicians are setting the poorest of examples, as we see.

“To be capable of embarrassment is the beginning of moral consciousness. Honor grows from qualms”

John Leonard

/John