The heritage of Christianity in America has played an important part in our success as a nation. We have standards that exceed those of the rest of the world. Without a virtuous people, freedom is not possible. As John Adams once wrote, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
When Murrieta Mayor Alan Long, now "former" mayor, and "former" councilman, crashed into the rear of a vehicle last month, injuring four teenagers, and failing to pass a field sobriety test while blowing alcohol into the breathalyzer, I was criticized for hammering on Mr. Long the way I did on this website by a number of people. I was accused of lashing out because I was angry for losing to Long in the 2010 Election (so, why did I wait ten years to lash out?), or that I was practicing dirty reporting as a blogger to help the candidates I support. "Joined at the hip with Diana Serafin," one accused me of. I told the critics, "First of all, I am not a reporter, I am an opinion writer. Second, Alan Long made his own bed, and regardless of whether or not the preliminary reports regarding his blood-alcohol level were accurate, he did what he did in plain view of the public. As a mayor, and a firefighter, Long betrayed the public trust. In the court of public opinion, unfortunately, you are not innocent until proven guilty. You must walk a tight-rope, and do the right thing, because all eyes are upon you.
As today's 2014 Election unfolds, there will be a number of new office holders at all levels of government, and a bunch of incumbents hanging on to their position of power. My message is the same to all of you, including those that I supported during the campaign. If Jon Ingram, or Diana Serafin, had, in a drunken stupor, crashed into a vehicle on the road, causing bodily harm to the recipients of their stupidity, I would have written about that, as well, and I would have been very critical, regardless of the fact that I consider both of those candidates to be my friend.
The message I have to all of your electoral winners out there is a quick one, and technically, it isn't even mine. The message comes from Thomas Jefferson, among the most revered of the men that participated in the founding of this nation. When it comes to the views of limited government, and an appreciation for what his colleagues did in Philadelphia during the construction of the United States Constitution, Thomas Jefferson is among my favorites.
Thomas Jefferson said that those who assume a public trust should consider themselves public property because they serve as stewards of both the public’s resources and trust. This also means that the public holds those officials to high standards of ethical conduct. That's what the Constitution means by "High Crimes and Misdemeanors." They are "high crimes," not because of the severity of the crime, because of the high post held by the people's representatives who commit them.
The final words of the Declaration of Independence are "Sacred Honor." All I ask of you is that you strive for that kind of level of public trust, honesty, and ethics.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
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