Not Even for the Pastor’s Kid: Equality Under the Law

When I was a boy, I was sitting next to the collection plate during Sunday Service. Sadly, that day a normal offering went missing and I was the last person seen near the money.

Dad was a pastor and a man of great integrity. When he heard the news, he brought me into his office and asked if I had taken the money. I had not and told him so. Dad believed me and then said that he thought that it would be best if I turned out my pockets and took off my shoes. He explained why and asked if this would be alright.

I knew it was more than o.k. It was necessary.

Why?

Nobody should think that the pastor’s kid got off with less scrutiny than anybody else would receive. In fact, given what Dad taught me, I wanted to be above reproach and was happy to turn out my pockets. Of course, later when the money was found elsewhere (it had been overlooked if memory serves me), folk were apologetic and all was well.

I was proud of my dad then and I am proud of him now. He taught me to be careful with God’s money, but he also taught me that there are no “special rules” for some people in the church. If there were special rules, then it would be said that a leader (or someone who wanted to grow up to be a leader) set himself a higher standard than those around him.

My first job working for Dad was cleaning toilets at the normal wage. He gave me no special favors and I did not want any. He encouraged me to go off on my own and make sure that nepotism, the bane of the church, did not impact my career.

We could all work together when we had all proven that we were suitable for our jobs. The standard was and is a high one.

I am reminded of this today because our government officials are not held to these standards. They can be “careless” and bend the law, but they are not prosecuted. Deeds that would finish off a secretary does nothing to a Secretary of State.

The standard is lower for the powerful now, not higher.

Dad taught me leaders must be above reproach, but our current government thinks leaders must not be in jail. If you are not indicted, then you did nothing wrong.

Nonsense.

We cannot survive as a free society when the rich and powerful are held to a lower standard. Noblesse oblige, the duty of the privileged to serve the less privileged, in the hands of the Clintons has become noblesse beneficium: to the privileged, more privilege. Secretary Clinton should step down and refuse the nomination for her extreme carelessness with national secrets. This carelessness was due to her selfishness and to her ignoring government policies.

Did she commit a crime? We will never know. Did she lie to us for the last year about what she did or did not do? We know she did now.

A noble soul would retire, but Clinton is no noble soul. There are other people, other women, in her party more fit to serve than she, but she will not put morality above self-interest. She has grown rich in “public service” and wants the last prize. Nothing will stand in her way