As Ronald Reagan said ‘Trust but verify’
Vox Pop
The April 2022 spring election is fast approaching and the Nov. 2022 fall elections follows suit in few months; it is high time to thank those who have taken the step of advanced citizenship and are running for office. The Star News indicated that the profiles of the candidates will start in approximately two weeks. First of all, being able to stand up and take an active role in the decision making that impacts your community and nationwide is worthwhile, but most importantly, I will hope that their responses to their background, concerns and how to fix a problem is based on the truth.
There is no word more commonly used in our times as democracy. A democratic government, in its broadest sense, means government by the people. The word and the idea originated in the old Greek States before the Christian era. Then a state was a small unit. Often it was only a single city. The state business could be done by a gathering of all the citizens, and every man had a right to vote. The United States government is a complex entity known as a democratic republic. This essentially means that the government operates on the principles of both a republic and a democracy. In other words, the nation functions upon principles that are common in both republics and democracies. A republic defined as “a political order in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who are entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them.” A democracy defined as “a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.” In both truthfulness is important.
Man is a social being; and truth is the foundation of social life. If all men were liars, social life would soon come to an end. The order of society is based upon truthfulness. Disorder and confusion of society begin with falsehood. There can be no social interaction without truthfulness. Americans are too smart to be gullible and controlled by lies.
Success in life is impossible without truthfulness: “Honesty is the best policy.” Falsehood may lead to temporary success and this kind of success is like a tree rotten at the root. It cannot stand the hour of trial. Truth is strong with the whole strength of nature. A life of falsehood is like an uphill match.
Truth is a law of human nature. It needs no efforts to speak the truth. Falsehood is revolting to human nature. Truth is natural, falsehood unnatural. Truth is positive, falsehood has to be invented. Man, when free, speaks the truth. He speaks falsehood under compulsion. Truth promotes love and love promotes truth. Lying is the basest of vices. It is mean to tell a lie because it is the offspring of cowardice. There are several causes of falsehood. Respectful parents teach their children not to lie. Fear is one of the causes of falsehood. The story of George Washington is too well-known to need repetition here. What was it that prompted him fearlessly to admit his fault to his angry father? His father was angry indeed, but Washington was assured of his father’s love under any circumstances even if he were punished. This was the secret of his bold confession.
Suspicion breeds dishonesty and induces falsehood. Cowardice undermines character, and it is fear that induces cowardice. Truthfulness is one of the distinguishing traits of moral courage. It is only the moral coward who stoops to lie. It is best to conclude with quotation from Bacon: “it is heaven upon earth, to have man’s mind move in charity, rest in Providence, and turn up-to the poles of truth.”
Once again, I join Brian Wilson, News Editor of Star News, in thanking all the candidates again, as your willingness to serve your community is appreciated.
— Dr. Osmond Ekwueme, Medford
