The Official Student News Source of HSEHS

HSENews

The Official Student News Source of HSEHS

HSENews

The Official Student News Source of HSEHS

HSENews

Politicians Should Be Held to a Higher Moral Standard

Politicians+Should+Be+Held+to+a+Higher+Moral+Standard

Newt Gingrich.  Anthony Weiner.  Herman Cain.  John Edwards.  Arnold Schwarzenegger.  David Petraeus.  All of these men should be known for their political and military accomplishments, but instead, their names bring to mind scandal and moral degradation.

Politicians and military officials should be held to high moral standards in order to prevent some of the most embarrassing and shameful events in American history.  The level of hypocrisy and double standards exhibited by some leaders sets a frightening path for the future.  In 1998, Newt Gingrich pushed for the impeachment of Bill Clinton while he was engaged in his second extramarital affair; clearly, someone who is involved in an affair of his own is not disengaged enough from the topic to lead the investigation.

The degradation of values is not just happening at a national level, either.  In 2009, Indiana Representative Mark Souder made a video with one of his staff members praising abstinence and abstinence education.  He resigned in 2010 after confessing to having an affair with said staff member.  This double standard is embarrassing and shameful for the state and for the political system, as people voted for Souder to represent their values, not spit in their face with his hypocrisy.

This is at first an issue of morality.  This country cannot be protected by people who do not hold themselves to a higher moral standard.  If the politicians and army officials do not hold themselves to an honor code of that equal to or greater than the people they serve, what makes them qualified to govern others?

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All morals aside, there is a level of competency that is needed to protect people and make decisions for people.  Men-and women-who accidentally tweet compromising pictures of themselves may not be competent enough to fly airplanes and plan foreign attacks.

Additionally, a person responsible for keeping the secrets of an entire nation should be able to keep their own personal affairs secret.  If they cannot keep their extramarital affairs under wraps, their ability to oversee secret missions and investigations should be questioned.

If the American people truly thought that affairs and sex scandals were inoffensive and commonplace, they would not react with shock and outrage as they do.  David Petraeus would not have resigned as the Director of the CIA if the news of his affair with his biographer did not compromise his position.

Simply, when American public officials exhibit low moral standards, they are degrading themselves and the country they serve.  Politicians and military officials should be held to a higher moral standard to protect the integrity of America.

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