Time: Wed Oct 01 05:51:43 1997 by primenet.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id FAA29786; Wed, 1 Oct 1997 05:32:51 -0700 (MST) by usr05.primenet.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id FAA01770; Wed, 1 Oct 1997 05:22:24 -0700 (MST) Date: Wed, 01 Oct 1997 05:21:55 -0700 To: (Recipient list suppressed) From: Paul Andrew Mitchell [address in tool bar] Subject: SLS: Politicians want trust they haven't earned (fwd) <snip> > >FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE >JON E. DOUGHERTY >USA FEATURES MEDIA CO. > > >POLITICIANS WANT TRUST THEY HAVEN'T EARNED > > > SEPTEMBER 24--I think it is inherent within the American psyche >to want to trust people. Despite the bad rap we get on the international >scene describing us as being a racist, mean-spirited and violent bunch of >rogues, the vast majority of Americans are hard-working, honest, decent >people who seek to live and play by the rules, raise a respectable family >and lead a responsible life. Morally speaking, most believe in the 'do >unto others' rule of society, hence, our desire to naturally trust >others. And since most of us fit into the above catagories, we naturally >assume that everyone else does too. > > We believe in that concept, up until the day when we cannot >assume it any longer about certain people because of an action -- or a >series of actions -- that they have engaged in which destroys their >credibility. > > All of us can remember a time when our faith in someone else was >shattered, for one reason or another. I'm not talking about >disillusionment in the sense of 'hero worship'; I'm talking about those >situations when you thought you knew someone and believed them to be >honorable, only to find out later that they weren't. Once you put your >trust in someone -- something that is given in good faith -- it's >devestating to find that trust misplaced by the thoughtlessness and >arrogance of the other person. And if your faith is broken often enough, >you begin to develop a protective layer around your emotions -- call that >cynicism. > > We can not only be wronged by individuals, but we can be made >fools of by specific groups as well. Lawyers, for example, complain that >they -- as a group -- are nothing but greedy, predatory ambulance >chasers. There's no question that many of them are, and to label all of >them as being guilty by association is wrong. But face it, much of why >these professionals are looked upon with disdain is because of an image >they themselves helped create. > > The same stigma of contempt is held for today's politicians. >There's no question that many lawmakers perform their duties admirably, >honorably and with their constituencies' best interests at heart. But >after seeing so many politicians get caught in lies, scandals, and other >forms of immoral behavior -- and then make excuses for it -- people have >copped an attitude of chronic cynicism to match the politicians' chronic >misbehavior. As the standard punchline suggests: "How can you tell a >politician is lying? Easy; his lips are moving." > > There has been no better administration in recent history which >solidifies the stereotypical attitude towards politicians than the >Clinton administration -- nay, Mr. Clinton himself. Despite liberal >rhetoric, the public's mistrust of him has nothing to do with 'being >hateful' or simply 'wanting to get him'. Rather it is contempt bred from >scores of misrepresentations, distortions and outright lies Mr. Clinton >has repeatedly foisted upon the people as "truths," when the people see >the obvious discrepancies in his statements. In 1992, Mr. Clinton can >thank his uncanny ability to obfuscate and work a crowd for his election; > in 1996, he can thank a low voter turnout, which was the direct result >of millions of people too distrustful of their own system to even >participate. > > But for the peoples' initial trust of him, look how he has repaid >that trust. > > Almost immediately after he took office, Whitewater began as an >issue, followed closely -- and in rapid succession -- by Travelgate, >Hillary's cattle futures, Vince Foster's death, filegate, Somalia and now >the campaign finance scandals which probably involve Chinese espionage. >Public evidence exists that seems to prove inconclusively that Mr. >Clinton, VP Al Gore, Mrs. Clinton and a host of others have done all of >this -- and many things -- wrong. From doctoring and shredding supoenaed >documents to selling trade and security secrets to potentially dangerous >regimes, Mr. Clinton and Co. have found it harder and harder to cover-up >all of the filth, even though Attorney General Janet Reno incredibly sees >"no evidence" of wrongdoing. But the people do, and they ain't 'buying >it' anymore. > > The American people know Mr. Clinton -- much better than he >thinks we do -- and they also know the truth about this man and his >friends. Despite the phoney tears-on-cue for the late Ron Brown or his >attempts to get us to "feel his pain," people are not stupid and many >have completely lost faith not only in the president, but also in the >legal system which is supposed to have "controlling legal authority" to >prosecute illegality. > > Mr. Clinton is not alone in this. Scores of politicians have >been badly abusing the public's trust, and it is evidenced by declining >voter participation. While Americans may be trusting and docile most of >the time, even we can reach our limit when individuals or groups of >people collectively deny us valid reasons to keep the faith. > > Politicians and the bureaucracies they have created are groups >that people love to hate because of their actions, not ours. For >Americans to become so cynical, distrustful and contemptuous of >government was not a widespread sentiment created overnight. Summarily, >winning back our trust will be equally daunting, though doable -- it all >depends on how badly politicians want it. *** > >Jon Dougherty is the associate producer of The Derry Brownfield Show, a >nationally syndicated talk radio program, and editor of the Internet >newspaper USA Journal Online. http://www.usajournal.com >------- >To subscribe to c-news, send the message SUBSCRIBE C-NEWS, or the message >UNSUBSCRIBE C-NEWS to unsubscribe, to majordomo@world.std.com. Contact >owner-c-news@world.std.com if you have questions. > > > ======================================================================== Paul Andrew Mitchell, Sui Juris : Counselor at Law, federal witness B.A., Political Science, UCLA; M.S., Public Administration, U.C. Irvine : tel: (520) 320-1514: machine; fax: (520) 320-1256: 24-hour/day-night email: [address in tool bar] : using Eudora Pro 3.0.3 on 586 CPU website: http://supremelaw.com : visit the Supreme Law Library now ship to: c/o 2509 N. Campbell, #1776 : this is free speech, at its best Tucson, Arizona state : state zone, not the federal zone Postal Zone 85719/tdc : USPS delays first class w/o this _____________________________________: As agents of the Most High, we came here to establish justice. We shall not leave, until our mission is accomplished and justice reigns eternal. ======================================================================== [This text formatted on-screen in Courier 11, non-proportional spacing.]
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