Reboot Alberta

Saturday, September 01, 2007

An Award for Political Honesty and Integrity is Disturbingly Orwellian

Has our respect for our federal governors declined so far that we now need to have an award of recognition for a parliamentarian “…who slug their guts out on behalf of their constituents in a very honest, forthright way with high integrity, don't get recognized for it…?”

Has it now come to the point where honesty and integrity are considered such unique character qualities of our elected representatives that they deserve special recognition?

Such character qualities ought to be taken for granted in those to whom we entrust our environment, our economy, our community, or future prosperity, and even our public safety and security as a nation. We empower and delegate power to these people who we elect and endow with our consent to be governed. We expect them to make some of our toughest and most critical decisions as a society - like going to war and putting other citizens we call soldiers in harms way. We expect them to steward our environment and help enable our prosperity.

If we have to hand out awards for basic honesty and integrity as a basis to recognize outstanding parliamentarians, we are electing the wrong kind of people in the first place.

George Orwell: "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."

Have we descended so far into an Orwellian reality that this quote reflects our times? In a democracy we always get the kind of government we deserve because we are the ones who choose it.

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