Don’t pay so much attention to what they say but watch what they do

By: American Decency Staff

As citizens of a democratic republic, the very welfare, stability, and strength of our nation is built upon honesty, honor, morality, God. 

John Adams Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

It has been a blessing to be raised most of my life around people who said what they meant.  Honest, honorable, decent – not duplicitous or smarmy (relating to or indulging in lewd conduct; smutty.)

A few politicians come immediately to mind.  I could readily do so, but I will spare you my list as you would have your list, too.  There would no doubt be some duplication.

Years ago while doing some legislative work at the state capitol in Michigan I met a man named Del Ormsby.  Del (deceased) was an aide for the then Speaker of the House.  He said to me regarding state legislators.  “Bill, don’t pay so much attention to what they say, but watch what they do.”

Del was a sweet man.  He was a man who came to know the Lord and served in a difficult place for the later season of his life.  He spoke truth. If he were alive today, he would be very saddened regarding the degradation of honor, honesty, doing right.

It is important to be a person that people can take at their word.  It is important to be able to trust people, but we dare not do so blindly.

When a loved one lies to us, it breaks the intimate trust that is vital in a loving relationship.  When a person is in a pattern of lying, it can take months and even years to restore that relationship back to health and trust.

So it is disturbing to see that lying, deceit, cheating, deception are on the arise at the highest levels of government – which not only  affects public policy out there, but our lives right where we live.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that most of you would agree with the following:

There has never been a time in my life time where lying, deceit, dishonesty, deception has ever been any more apparent than what I have seen in recent years. 

1  Another concern that relates to this is the following:  When a person(s) gets in a place of influence and they practice deceit successfully, there are untold numbers of observers waiting in the wings and learning from their practices.  When they see a president, an attorney general getting away with unconstitutional activity (lawlessness), it establishes a dangerous and damaging precedent.  As people prone toward duplicity watch those practicing duplicity, duplicity ramps up.  Duplicity:  double-dealing, Deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech.

Many examples abound.  How about what has become common from the mouth of our current President:   “If Congress fails to act, I will.”

Or in the case of Eric Holder telling State Attorneys General at a national meeting that they do not need to defend laws they consider discriminatory—which means he is giving the green light for each state’s top lawyer to refuse to defend their state laws against same-sex marriage.

This from the man who sworn to defend the laws of the United States.

All this contributes mightily to corruption, to the ruin of a society, a culture.   

In a day of “low information voters,” I suggest that politicians play off this knowing that they can spin truth, misstate, lie, deceive because they know that so many of the electorate either don’t vote, won’t vote, or will fall for fallacious speech. 

They know they largely will not be held accountable for their performance or lack of it.

This ought not to be. 

Get informed.   If I left it here, shame on me.

God help us one by one to wipe away the sleep from our "eyes" and to see the obvious.

Largely and generally as a people we are lethargic having lost gratitude, appreciation for the immense freedoms that we have and that are as fragile as never before.

To be continued tomorrow (Lord willing).

In closing,

Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17

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Don't pay so much attention to what they say but watch what they do.  Wisdom from an old sage.  https://americandecency.org/full_article.php?article_no=2942

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