What do you believe are the top priorities of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)? What types of investigation consume most of their working hours? Terrorism? Yes, that’s definitely one. Cyber crime? Yes, they have made crimes committed on the Internet a high priority. Espionage? Of course.
Those three areas of criminal activity are definitely priorities in our nation, but what would you name next? What is fourth in the top five?
If you said public corruption, you’re right. The top criminal program of our nation’s FBI is the combating of corruption in high places. Since January of 2004, FBI investigations have led to the conviction of more than 1,060 government employees involved in corrupt activities. Over 365 police officers – the equivalent of one every other day for two years – were found to be engaged in corruption. There were 360 officials at local levels, 158 at state levels, and 177 federal officials. In the last two years, nearly three public officials per day were convicted of public corruption as a result of FBI investigations.
Why do those in the FBI give this such high priority? Because they believe our democracy and national security depend on a government that has character, i.e., moral excellence. You are free to disagree with the FBI, of course, but before you do, I suggest you order a copy of Character, Character Builder Series, Vol. 1 and brush up on the meaning of true character. Learn what the word really means.
Character – can a nation live without it? It impacts greatly what our elected leaders will do about illegal immigration. Will they understand and exercise authentic love and compassion, or will counterfeit versions of those two character traits direct their decisions?
Character – can a nation live without it? It impacts every verdict handed down in our courts, and if you believe as I do, you believe judges should exercise the courage of their convictions, refusing to bow to interest groups in their rulings. Read Courage, Character Builder Series, Vol. 2 and see if you agree.
Character affects the safety of your local neighborhood as well as the quality of your roads and streets. It saves you money in taxes and other government fees. It can improve your prospects of good health or doom you to worsening health, depending on whether government officials exercise it or fail to do so.
Two weeks ago, the mayor of Lynchburg, Virginia was convicted of defrauding two Social Security disability recipients, defrauding a charitable organization, making false statements, and obstructing a federal investigation by providing false information to a federal Grand Jury. Public corruption. Lack of integrity. Lack of self-control. Lack of love and compassion. This mayor was lacking in a whole list of character traits.
“The evidence showed beyond a reasonable doubt that (he) was taking advantage of citizens in our community that he had sworn to help and protect. In addition, (he) was taking from his own charity in order to try to deal with his own financial difficulties,” said United States Attorney John Brownlee.
Character – can a nation live without it? Emphatically not! Yet the world is marginalizing moral character. We are devaluing it, cheapening it through TV, movies, video games, and a host of other avenues that glorify the lack of character more than character. I firmly believe the result will be death to any nation that tries to live without character.
That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?