To The Reader’s Forum:

We have lots of choices in our lives and we hope that we make good ones. But when it comes to power, how do we choose? What is our North Star that helps us to choose service over power? What do we choose to believe about God, ethics, hypocrisy, or dare I say, about Democracy?

My North Star has always been the Boy Scout Law, which I still can repeat from memory. I wonder if others value it today. Do we want our leaders in government to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent? These 12 points are what I hope we expect from our leaders, but the real question is, do we accept these 12 points as our own North Star?

When did the hunger for power replace these 12 points? Whatever happened to our integrity and the integrity of our leaders in government? Today it seems that hypocrisy has become a virtue required to get elected. One party has for decades supported the idea that family values are important. That being pro-life is better than pro-choice. That principles matter.

Today we are faced with situations where ethics, loyalty, honesty, courtesy, and the family values of our leaders have been replaced with the hunger for power. Just ask Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger what happened to them for following the 12 points of the Boy Scout Law.

Why do we want people like Trump and Herschel Walker to lead us? Why do we collectively pick the criminal “Barabbas” over Jesus? Why do we want the ring of power instead of the Scout Law? If we keep this up, we will not have a Democracy but a nationalistic theocracy that worships power over service. That treats hypocrisy as a virtue and the North Star of the Boy Scout Law as a flaw and weakness in character. I would like to hope we are better than that, but if I am realistic, the Boy Scout Law really doesn’t matter anymore. Only the search for power and winning does. Governing is not a priority, winning at all costs is. Integrity is a thing of the past. Being mean spirited wins elections. Democracy will only work when lying is replaced with integrity, when the Scout Law becomes our North Star, when we choose Jesus over the criminal “Barabbas”.

Edward Vos

Jamestown