Principles matter. Our decisions have consequences, whether on the individual or communal level. When we come to a fork in the road our decision to go either right or left takes us down very different paths.
During spring of my senior year of college I took the written test for Navy flight school. Like McCain, I was in love with flying and wanted to be a Navy pilot. I passed the written test and was invited back for a physical exam and an interview. Then months went by without hearing a word about the status of my application. In the meantime, I took a civil service test to become a juvenile probation officer. I did well in that exam and was offered a job within a month or so. Just about a month after I began working I received notice that I was accepted into the Navy officer training program and upon its successful completion I would be enrolled in the Navy Flight School.
I was at a major fork in the road of my life. What do I do? Join the Navy and pursue flying? Continue in my new career in criminal justice? I was torn but I had to make a choice. I chose criminal justice. The result was several years serving as a juvenile probation officer and later several more years in Peace Corps. After Peace Corps I ended up in criminal justice planning. There were several more twists in the road but eventually I ended up sharing these thoughts and experiences with you. The point is that I decided. That decision had consequences which shaped my life and subsequent experience. If I had chosen Navy Flight School, the consequences would have been very different.
In the best of circumstances our decisions are not just random flips of a coin but reflect basic principles which we use to work through the decisions we face. These principles can be basic: “do no harm,” “seek the common good,” “pursue the well-being of others,” or “do your duty.” Yet, as we apply these principles to our decisions they begin to shape our lives. They have consequences. These principles apply at the level of our individual choices. These principles apply at the level of community and nation.
What is the difference between a politician and a statesman? A politician knows how to play the political game and get elected to office. A statesman is a good politician but he or she also sees the potential within our community and what we can become. He gives shape to our dreams. He calls us to nobility and greatness, as the two cannot be separated. A statesman views himself/herself as a servant of the public, not its master. A statesman inspires us to pursue our dreams in a principled manner, as dreams worth pursuing are built on principles that benefit the entire community and not just the self-interest of a few.
All the TV coverage surrounding the death, funeral and burial of Senator John S. McCain stressed that McCain was a statesman. He was a skilled politician, better than most. Yet, even more he was principled and rarely allowed anything other than his principles to influence his decisions. He especially valued pursuit of the common good as the task of a political leader and let nothing get in the way of that quest. He was willing to work with others to pursue the common good, whether they were Republican or Democrat. If it was a choice between identity politics or principle, every time it was principle that won out in his decision-making process. It is this fidelity to principle that makes Senator McCain stand out as a moral and political giant among a crowd of self-serving, fearful and unprincipled politicians who exalt tribal politics, nurture animosity, and build walls between people.
I bring this up because we are heading into the 2018 election season. In a very few weeks we will be voting for our elected representatives at the local and national level.
Our choice in the voting booth has consequences. The people we choose to represent us and to make our laws will take us down one path or another depending on the decisions they make. They will shape the conditions in which we live through the public policy they enact. As voters, are we aware of the principles, if any, by which they live and make decisions? Do those principles seek the common good or draw from us nobility and virtue? Do those principles encourage us to pursue goals that transform us into something better than we are at present? Do they draw out the best of us? Or, do we have to hold our nose as we vote?
If you are running for office, why should anyone vote for you? What is the dream you are sharing with the electorate? Is it a worthy dream or a nightmare rooted in fear? Is it a dream that is rooted in the common good? What are the principles that are the foundation of your decisions, both personal and in the public forum? As a community the last thing we need are more politicians, however we are desperate for true statesmen. Are you just another politician who is playing the political game? Or are you a statesman (stateswoman) who will serve the community and lead it to be greater than it is?