Whether your candidate won or lost, this was one of the most important presidential elections in American history.

Besides the undeniably profound social and moral significance of electing an African American President, the election presented voters with starkly different beliefs and strategies about the economy, taxes, health care, civil rights, international relations, and a host of other issues.

I was proud and uplifted by the gracious and eloquent final speeches by John McCain and Barack Obama.

Both men were truly presidential as they expressed respect for the good qualities and intentions of their former opponent and their willingness to work with each other in the best interests of the nation.

But I was disheartened by the thought that it was too little too late.

Despite the high-minded rhetoric of both candidates, this election, like those before it, was stained by name-calling, innuendos, distortions, and outright lies. Both candidates, at least occasionally, abandoned their principles and broke promises when it seemed advantageous to do so.

But that’s the sad state of politics today.

The problem is, while the candidates, as professional politicians, may be able to forgive and forget, most people were left with enduring negative beliefs that the “other guy” was unworthy of the office. That’s not a good thing – and it’s not true.

Despite their imperfections, both Senators McCain and Obama are unquestionably men of extraordinary talent and commitment. They are good and decent public servants dedicated to their separate visions of the common good, and both were qualified to be President.

Regardless of your November 4th convictions, the guy who won deserves and needs your full and unequivocal support.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 9:27 AM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (14)

Years ago I was talking to a group of Army generals about the way politicians often treat the defense budget as an all-purpose public-works fund to help bring money to their districts.

One general admitted, “Yes, if the chairman of the Appropriations Committee comes from a place that makes trucks, we’re probably going to buy those trucks. That’s the way it is, the way it always was, and the way it always will be.”

I suggested that it was a form of bribery to buy the trucks just to please the politician.

The general barked, “It’s not bribery. It’s extortion!”

“Don’t sound so powerless,” I replied. “You’re a general.”

Without skipping a beat, he answered, “Yeah, but I’m only a one-star.”

I hear this abdication of moral responsibility a lot – from business executives who surrender to pressures to engage in dubious business practices, from journalists who see their great calling being overcome by a growing profit obsession, and from others who feel they just can’t buck the system.

I understand it’s easier and often seems smarter to go along to get along. But when systems become corrupt, irrational, or wasteful, it’s our duty to try to make things better.

As Edward Everett Hale said, “It’s true I am only one, but I am one. And the fact that I can’t do everything will not prevent me from doing what I can do.”

When there’s a gap between reality and ethical ideals, people of character don’t surrender their ideals. They fight for them. They work to change the way things are to the way they ought to be.

And much more often than we realize, defective systems collapse at the first sight of principled resistance.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 9:37 AM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

Fewer than two years after the memory-searing, world-changing terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, David Paine and Jay Winuk founded MyGoodDeed.org with the express purpose of transforming 9/11 into a national day of service in honor of the victims, volunteers, and rescue and recovery workers of Ground Zero.

A visit to this website will allow you to plug in your zip code and discover a wide range of opportunities for public service. It’s a worthy idea that deserves more attention and support.

A few weeks ago, the founders added a new twist. They wrote Senators McCain and Obama asking them to honor the anniversary of the attacks by suspending active campaigning. In a significant act of statesmanship, consistent with the unifying messages both candidates have sometimes advocated, they agreed.

The agreement preceded the recent escalation of nastiness and warlike rhetoric on both sides, so the truce couldn’t have come at a better time. The candidates and the nation need a pause from a campaign that seems to be spinning out of control, getting uglier, meaner, and more divisive by the day.

So today, with no speeches and hopefully no attempt to gain political advantage, the two candidates will walk together down a ramp into the pit where the World Trade Center towers once stood and lay a wreath at Ground Zero. Later, they will jointly appear at a televised forum on civic engagement, a topic they agree on.

It’s a fitting tribute to this solemn day.

An even greater tribute, and a monumental act of public service, would be a promise by these two good men who love their country to raise the campaign to a higher level and keep it there.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

How much weight would you give to a proud mother’s judgment as to the talent, intelligence, or good looks of her child?

In evaluating the necessity and propriety of Russia’s invasion of Georgia, would it be rational to listen only to ethnic Russians or Georgians?

Wise decision-makers require additional evidence because the credibility of the testimony of proud parents and passionate patriots is tainted by a lack of objectivity.

That’s why we disqualify trial judges and police detectives from cases involving relatives and why we don’t let employees make purchasing decisions when they have a financial interest in the outcome.

The missing ingredient in the current Presidential campaign is objectivity.

Although the better news anchors maintain neutrality, they seem more interested in generating heat than light, dissension rather than discourse. They choose clashing and contentious partisans who assault our sensibilities, scorning and mocking each other, often without any show of civility.

Driven more by opportunism than integrity and unencumbered by the concept of consistency, they keep changing the target, arguing whatever might strengthen their case. Often, it’s hard to conceive that they believe what they’re saying.

First, we need to discount the opinions of blindly loyal partisans who, regardless of the issue, interpret every new fact as confirmation of their previous position.

Second, and much harder, we need to challenge our own willingness and ability to be objective in determining what’s true and relevant.

If we only listen to or believe people who agree with us and filter out every fact and argument that could justify a change of mind, we become them – blindly loyal partisans – and that’s an irresponsible waste of our power to choose.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 9:52 AM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (13)

Watching the Democratic Convention and listening to the Republicans' responses reminded me of what I hate and love about politics and our political system.

I hate the self-righteousness of unbridled partisanship, snide personal attacks, insincerity, half truths, and lack of fair-mindedness and objectivity on both sides.

But there is something grand and noble about America’s full-throttle version of democracy and the way we play out our disagreements on the public stage. I love that we’ve been able to embrace such a wide range of differences within a two-party system defined by ideological views as to how the country should be run.

I was moved to tears witnessing the nomination of an African American for President and the symbolism of doing so on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I have a dream” speech. That his nomination was the result of a razor-close contest with a woman was a profound reminder of how far we’ve come in my lifetime.

I enjoyed the spectacle -- the intermixture of fabulous visuals, films, music, and monumental political speeches. It reminded me of the Beijing Olympic Games.

And though the political calculation behind the actions was evident, I still thought it was classy of John McCain to run an ad congratulating Barack Obama and for Senator Obama and other speakers to respectfully acknowledge Senator McCain’s personal courage and great contributions to his country.

How wonderful would it be if that tone of mutual respect could be maintained during the campaign.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 9:33 AM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (5)

Cynicism about the ethics of elected officials may be at an all-time high, continually fueled by new stories of outright corruption or bad judgment. At every level of government there are politicians who can’t seem to recognize or resist conflicts of interest, inappropriate gifts, improper use of the power or property entrusted to them, or shameful private conduct.

It’s no surprise that the media are continually shining light on real and perceived improprieties and putting the heat on federal, state, and city legislatures to pass new and tougher ethics laws to restore public trust.

The phrase “ethics laws” is peculiar because it marries two different concepts. Ethics refers to standards of right and wrong and how a person should behave according to moral principles such as honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect. Living ethically is a matter of conscience. Unethical conduct results in shame and perhaps criticism, scandal, or disgrace.

While ethics is about should, laws are about must. They prohibit or mandate specific conduct. Obeying the law is a matter of compliance, and illegal conduct can result in fines and imprisonment.

Ethics laws meld those two concepts. They require conduct (such as open meetings and disclosure of financial interests) and forbid transactions that could compromise the integrity of government. Because of a high tendency of those regulated to evade the spirit and purpose of such laws, statutes have become more complex and technical.

Historically, legislative bodies have been reactive rather than proactive, doing only what they absolutely must. Thus, existing laws are often a hodgepodge of regulations designed to prevent reoccurrence of specific past improprieties. That’s a big part of the problem.

What we need is nonpartisan statesmanship and visionary leadership willing to face the fact that relying on elected officials’ judgment is a failed strategy. Doing so guarantees a continual flow of scandals that discredits their institutions and the enterprise of democratic government itself.

While I wish more emphasis was placed on character rather than compliance, the reality is that voters don’t consistently demand scrupulous integrity as evidenced by the re-election of people stained by scandal.

It’s often said that you can’t legislate morality. This is true. But we can require moral conduct. Ethics laws don’t make people ethical, but they deter unethical conduct. And that’s an important first step.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 9:18 AM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (1)

Dave had to undergo painful throat surgery. Since he made his living as a professional speaker, the experience was frightening and traumatic.

He told me his surgeon was skilled and the hospital workers were competent, but the cold indifference of the parade of nurses and doctors who came in and out of his room was one of the most depressing, demoralizing, and dehumanizing experiences of his life.

They treated his disease rather than treating him as a person with a disease, often talking in front of him as if he were a dumb animal who couldn’t understand what they were saying. Although they were assigned to his care, they acted as if they didn’t care. Their behavior was outright toxic.

I can understand why medical practitioners keep an emotional distance from human suffering as a form of self-protection. And I understand how confronting difficult and demanding patients as well as pain, disease, and even death on a daily basis can form calluses around the heart. But when professional distance translates to disrespect, it’s a form of malpractice.

The job of medical professionals is not simply to cure disease but to care for the overall well-being of patients. They do their job best when they help patients get better and help them feel better.

What saved him, Dave said, wasn’t the pain-killing drugs but the attitude of a few nurses who uplifted his spirits by simple acts of human decency – a smile, a kind word, a compassionate expression or tone – that conveyed the message that they cared.

We have to love and admire those who can bring their hearts to their work. Mental sunshine and flowers are powerful medicines.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (6)

Fifty years ago, President Dwight Eisenhower declared May 1st Law Day to honor the critical role of law in our unique Constitutional democracy.

Try to imagine what our lives would be like without laws. There would be no way to enforce our contracts, regulate the way people drive, trust the safety of our foods and drugs, or protect us from our neighbor's dog. Without laws to create and protect our right to free speech, religion, privacy, and fair trials, the liberties we hold so dear would be nonexistent.

Laws establish standards of behavior that are necessary if we are to have an orderly, peaceful, just, humane, and respectful society.

Yet today, it's popular to express disdain for the law, especially those that regulate controversial conduct such as using stem-cell research; allowing same-sex marriages; buying automatic weapons; and dealing with criminals, suspected terrorists, and prisoners of war. This is understandable. Such topics generate passionate convictions worth fighting for.

Still, these areas of intense disagreement are precisely the ones where we most need democratically enacted ordinances. Without respect for the law, our society could devolve into constantly warring factions where physical power rather than popular vote would win the day.

Rules define our expectations as well as our standards of right and wrong. Whether we're playing a game or running a family, school, company, or community, clear and specific rules backed up by consistent and just enforcement make our lives more fair, efficient, and safe. And I'm all for them.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (8)

"These are the times that try men’s souls."

This is the opening line in a 1776 pamphlet by Thomas Paine calling on fellow citizens to create a new government based on noble principles like truth, honor, justice, respect for human dignity, and compassion.

Looking at the way we’re trying to elect a President leads me to believe that our commitment to these historic American values, rooted not only in our founding documents but in the character of our favorite heroes from George Washington to Superman, has faltered.

During the Army-McCarthy Hearings – a low point in American history marked by blacklisting and persecution – U.S. Army attorney Joseph Welch exposed the conscienceless nature of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s character assassinations when he asked, “Senator, have you no shame?”

That same question could be asked of political partisans in the current election who are sinking to new lows in efforts to destroy opposing candidates, the media who seek out and repeat every negative inference, and the public (maybe including you) who condone distortions and unproven allegations and exaggerate the importance of any statement, act, or relationship that puts a candidate in a bad light.

Yes, each of the remaining candidates has flaws and vulnerabilities, but they’re the best we’ve got. One of them is going to be the next President of the United States.

Let’s recommit ourselves to truth, honor, justice, fair play, respect for human dignity, and compassion. Let’s discourage the mutilation of these Americans and let them tell us what they’ll do if elected.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (7)

If a person asserted a Constitutional right to prevent the government from doing something the President or the Congress wanted to do, would you call him or her a conservative or a liberal? Would you support or oppose the position?

In today’s blindly partisan world, the answer would seem to depend on what right the person was asserting and whether you sympathize with the claim.

Thus, if someone opposes laws allowing gay marriages or abortions or restricting gun ownership, you’re likely to label her a conservative. If you have conservative leanings, you’d probably support her.

On the other hand, if the claim opposes attempts to limit free speech, supports laws providing free medical care, or prohibits torture, the person waving the Constitutional flag would likely be called a liberal. If you agree with him, you’re likely to approve his use of the Constitution.

My point is, many people only see the world through the clouded lenses of their political and social ideologies. They subordinate principles to partisanship and create a world where those who agree with them are inherently smart and good and those who don’t are stupid and evil.

Partisanship often leads to prejudice, precluding the fair evaluation of new facts. It also leads to self-righteousness and intolerance. The problem is not with deeply held convictions, it’s that too many people think that the more intensely they believe something, the more likely it is that they’re right.

Ranting and name-calling by both the left and right do a disservice to our country. They promote picking sides rather than analyzing issues.

The social positions of people of character are governed by reflective reasoning, not reflexive responses; by logic, not loyalty; and by consistency with enduring principles, not political parties.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Continue reading "The Clouded Lens of Partisanship 559.3" »

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 9:47 AM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (6)

As Lily Tomlin said, “No matter how cynical I get, I just can’t keep up.”

In the past month, baseball legend Roger Clemens unconvincingly testified under oath that he never used steroids. Marion Jones, one of the greatest female athletes ever, enters prison for lying about using performance-enhancing drugs and for her role in a check-fraud scheme. And now, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, a public official of heroic proportions who stood for truth, justice, and incorruptible honor, is caught red-faced in the middle of a tawdry sex scandal.

Although his contrite public statement was vague — he confessed that he shamed his family, violated his own ethical standards, and let down the people he asked to trust him — it was widely reported that he paid more than $4,000 for a prostitute to travel from New York City to a hotel in Washington, D.C. And it wasn’t the first time.

The distraught look on his wife’s face as she stood next to him revealed the depth of her suffering. Can you imagine how his three teenage daughters are feeling?

Some apologists try to dismiss his indiscretion as a private matter and point out that the crime he committed is a misdemeanor. But this effort to minimize the moral significance of his indiscretion is foolish and futile — especially for a governor who was swept into office by a landslide because of his success as a law-and-order crusading attorney general.

First, his conduct was illegal, and the politics of the case make it likely he will be criminally charged (unless he makes a quick plea bargain in exchange for resigning). That means if he stays in office he will be occupied with endless legal and political strategy sessions that take him away from doing the people’s business.

Second, his decision to engage in conduct he knew would devastate and humiliate his family, destroy his political career, and damage his party is a staggering display of irresponsibility and bad judgment. How could a man who knows he’s under constant and intense scrutiny put his own legacy and the well-being of so many people he cares about at the mercy of prostitutes and criminals? How could a man who had done so much and had so much more to do give such a deadly weapon to his many righteously earned political enemies?

And finally, you don’t have to be a prude or a Puritan to realize there's something deeply wrong about purchasing sex from someone else’s daughter, however willing she might have been. With only a few notable exceptions, prostitution is illegal throughout the world to protect the exploitation of women.

In the end, this is just sad, sad, sad.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

(This is an expanded version of the commentary that aired on the radio.)

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (15)

Politics is, and always has been, a rough-and-tumble business that seems to bring out the worst in candidates trying to get an edge or to defend themselves from distortions, outright lies, and personal attacks.

Adlai Stevenson, a presidential candidate in the 1950s, said, “The hardest thing about any political campaign is how to win without proving you are unworthy of winning.”

This takes a huge toll on those who put themselves on the political frying pan, but it also makes it hard for responsible citizens to assess qualifications, to determine a candidate’s true positions on the issues, and to decide whether characterizations of the individual are true and relevant.

Although competence and character are important, the criteria for who gets my vote starts with a candidate's convictions, his or her beliefs on crucial matters.

Seems simple enough, but it isn’t. The first task is to identify the issues that mean a lot to you and their relative importance. The second is to discover the candidate’s stands on them

Fortunately, a number of nonpartisan websites can help. I especially like www.glassbooth.org where you rank issues in order of their importance to you. You’re then told how closely each candidate’s views are aligned with yours.

For more substantive analysis of the issues and each candidate’s stances, visit these websites:

• www.vote-smart.org
• www.c-span.org
• www.cqpolitics.com
• www.factcheck.org

This is really important stuff. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Pick a candidate, then tell your friends why. If enough of us do that, it could make a difference.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts and that good citizenship is one of the Six Pillars of Character.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (7)

As the presidential campaign heats up, lots of people I talk to express dismay that none of the current candidates meet all of their hopes and expectations. Often the discussion turns to what they don’t like about one person or another. This has been true in every national election I’ve seen, but I don’t remember a time when dissatisfaction with the choices was higher and the temptation to stand on the sidelines was stronger.

Well, that’s not a viable option. In a democracy, the highest public office is a citizen with the right to vote. Our privileges come with civic responsibilities, including the moral duty to participate.

But how can we sort through the rhetoric, rumors, and allegations to make a wise and responsible choice?

First, we have to become informed.

Claims that “I really don’t know much about candidate X” are not acceptable. We can’t hide behind a veil of ignorance, especially in the era of the Internet where it’s so easy to learn all we need to know. Surely, we should put as much effort into choosing our next president as we would in choosing our next car.

The harder challenge is weighing and balancing the factors we think are important and making a comparative judgment among the contenders.

It helps me to be systematic and assess each candidate’s strengths and deficiencies in three areas:

• Convictions. What is his or her ideology and beliefs about issues of consequence?
• Competence. What is his or her ability to effectively implement stated strategies and to deal with the crisis potential of unanticipated events, from natural disasters to foreign assassinations?
• Character. Can this person be trusted to represent the country with honor, integrity, courage, and dignity?

I’ll talk more about these three factors tomorrow.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (8)

I heard a story about an emergency medical technician I’ll call Jake who was summoned to help an unconscious woman. When he arrived she had no pulse and he could tell from her color and dilated eyes that she had already suffered serious brain damage.

Still, he did his job exceptionally well and after many efforts to restart her heart, she regained consciousness. Her family kept in touch with him and he learned that the woman was permanently blind, paralyzed and unable to talk.

Jake often brooded about his decision to save her, wondering whether his technical knowledge thwarted nature's plan imposing a terrible burden on her family and trading her eternal peace for years of suffering and indignity.

His painful doubts darkened his life for many years until he received a note from the lady's son. The note said, "Mom died last week and I want to thank you for giving me so many extra years. Though at first I felt only grief, I came to find peace and gain strength from my time with her. Every day I'd hold her hand and tell her about my accomplishments and problems. I could always feel her strong pulse and I came to know that she talked to me through her heart. With every beat she sent me love and encouragement. I treasured our time together."

As Jake’s professional skill restarted the heart of a dying woman, her son's ability to feel gratitude, and willingness to express it, repaired the self-inflicted wound to Jake's heart.

This story is more about attitudes than actions. The quality of our lives is determined not so much by what we do or what is done to us, but how we choose to think about our situation.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

Recently, I attended a fundraising dinner for the Erika Whitmore Godwin Foundation, the creation of Susan and Wendell Whitmore, a couple who transformed their personal mountain of sorrow into a living monument to their daughter Erika who died in the prime of her life.

About half the people at the dinner had lost a child. Regardless of the age or the cause of death, these bereft parents all shared a common sentence – to live the rest of their lives with a hole in their heart.

No one could have blamed them if they had retreated to a dark dungeon of despondency, but the remarkable people in that room refused to surrender. They made a painful peace with their reality so they could move on, so they could laugh, so they could enjoy the company of others and savor good memories without being consumed by regret.

Their strategy is not to bury their pain so deep that they forget their loss. They want to remember. They want to celebrate and honor their child -- not by weeping, but by improving the world in their youngster’s name.

The Whitmore’s foundation and their website (www.GriefHaven.org) guide parents recently maimed by the death of a child out of the black swamp of despair and help those still suffering from unhealed wounds find a road to a brighter future.

People like the Whitmores confirm that pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. They also teach us that a rewarding and meaningful life can be made from the rubble of personal calamity.

All of us have within us the power to endure tragedy. But we also must know that we give both life and death profound meaning and significance when we draw life-affirming and heart-healing energy from even the most horrible events.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

Even 14 years later, Marc Klaas’s story evokes a parent’s worst nightmare.

In 1993, his 12-year-old daughter Polly was kidnapped from her own bedroom. For weeks, the country watched with horror and faint hope as thousands of volunteers and professionals searched for Polly and her abductor. Although her killer was eventually caught, communication and policy deficiencies limited police effectiveness.

Recently, I had the privilege to present an award to Marc Klaas and his wife Violet for their relentless efforts through education and legislation to protect children from crimes.

I asked Marc how he coped. He admitted he was initially consumed with total despair at his loss and anger against Polly’s killer, the police, and even God.

Ultimately, he said, he came to recognize he had three options: flight, fright, or fight. He decided to fight. He turned the energy fueling his pain and rage into something positive.

He founded the KlaasKids Foundation with a simple statement: "Polly gave meaning to her life, but I am the one who will give meaning to her death. Through the Foundation we can create her legacy and ensure that her death was not in vain."

And he’s done just that. He created for Polly a legacy of activism that has made the world safer for all children. But just as important is the towering example of character he provides to all who have or will suffer personal calamities.

In rejecting the role of a helpless victim and refusing to surrender to his grief, he reminds us that we all possess the resources to overcome even the worst that can happen to us.

In the end, it’s not our circumstances that determine the quality of our life, but our response to them.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

Watching parents struggle to keep their young children quiet on a recent plane trip reminded me of how stressful traveling was a few years ago when my kids were really young.

Anne and I would do everything we could to keep our kids from annoying other passengers, but no matter how hard we tried, one would always scream or kick the seat in front of her.

Inevitably, a few passengers would add to our anxiety and embarrassment by displaying disdain and discomfort through withering comments, loud sighs, or accusatory looks. Their message was clear: We were inept or inconsiderate parents.

I couldn’t blame them because our children did make their trip unpleasant. Still, I wished they had been more understanding.

In contrast, I so admired and appreciated the occasional man or woman who would go out of his or her way to ease the tension or lighten the burden with a supportive smile, a kind comment, or an offer to help.

Sometimes we don’t seem aware of the choices we have and our power to make things better or worse.

I once read of a man on a subway with two young children who were being loud and unruly. The man seemed to ignore their behavior, so a fed-up passenger confronted him: "Sir, don’t you see how your children are disturbing everyone? How can you be so thoughtless?"

The man sobbed, "I’m so sorry. Their mom just died and I’ve been thinking of how we'll live without her." In an instant, the critic’s self-righteousness turned to self-condemnation.

Why is it that so many of us have to be hit over the head before we turn on our caring and empathy buttons?

The next time you have the choice between being right and being kind, choose kindness.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (3)

Jews all over the world just completed the High Holy Days ending with Yom Kippur, a solemn day of atonement. A central obligation during this period is to reflect, acknowledge one’s shortfalls, and atone for them -- all as a prelude to a fresh commitment to be a better person and to lead a better life.

Atonement includes the duty to apologize to those injured by any moral shortcoming. Last year I saw a one-minute animated film on Aish.com about apologies. It struck me as profound. Here is the message:

For some people, an apology is always in the planning stages.
Others suppress an apology and can’t get it out.
Some people need to have an apology squeezed out of them.
For others, the apology is never whole.

Some people say "Sorry" so many times, it is hard to know when they mean it.
Others will never apologize until the other person apologizes.
Some people whisper so quietly, it is barely heard.
There are others who never think to ask for forgiveness.

For some people, "Sorry" is nothing but a game of words.
For others, their apology is part of a strategic plan.
Some people are separated by just one apology.
Others are reunited by just one apology.

For some, "Sorry" lifts their spirit and carries them far.
For others, it opens up locked doors.
"Sorry" clears the slate and creates a new beginning.

You don’t have to be Jewish to see the profound wisdom of sincere apologies to mend relationships and start anew.

Is there anyone you should be apologizing to, or is it time you accepted another’s apology? It may or may not change your life for the better, but it will make you better.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

*Bonus commentary this week!

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 3:57 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

In thinking about how to properly commemorate this sixth anniversary of the September 11th attacks that so changed American society, I decided to share what I initially said six years ago:

It may be many weeks before we know how many lives were lost or ruined in the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. It will take longer to discover the impact on our personal and national character.

One thing for sure, the calamity of September 11 will have a lasting impact on the American psyche forever scarred by the knowledge of our vulnerability to instantaneous mass destruction.

In the next days we will see close-ups of horrible carnage and be confronted with choices that could change us as individuals and alter the nature of our society. Filled with compassion, fear, rage, and a desire for revenge, we can emerge more caring or more callous.

We know mortality statistics can’t begin to convey the personal grief behind those numbers. While compassion and empathy are important qualities of character, they can cause pain. It’s tempting to shield ourselves by turning away, but if we do, we risk becoming desensitized and may lose the opportunity to fortify our instinct to care. We should realize that embedded within the headlines are tens of thousands of individual tragedies and force ourselves to stay emotionally engaged because it strengthens our humanity.

It can be sad and depressing, but if we allow ourselves to imagine with our heart what is being felt by every child who became an orphan, every parent who lost a child, and every husband and wife suddenly divorced by death, we are more likely to help others -- and to become better people.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 3:23 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

With every passing year, the anniversary of 9/11 becomes more muted and less painful.

So it is and should be with excruciating memories.

Tragic events dot the lives of all of us – the death of a loved one, the end of a marriage, the loss of a home or business – and it’s sometimes difficult to resist the temptation to emotionally re-experience the heartache. It’s as if we must suffer again to prove we care.

But in the end, self-inflicted suffering is pointless and damaging. We are entitled to live happy lives, and that requires us to let go of the grief of terrible times. That doesn’t mean we forget them.

Regarding September 11th, it’s important to pause to honor with reverence and gratitude the victims and the noble efforts of those who struggled mightily to rescue them.

We should also reflect on four lessons worth remembering:

1. Life is fragile. We’re all vulnerable. We should live each day knowing it could be our last.

2. Every single life is precious. We should never diminish or demean the profound tragedy of lost lives by thinking of casualties in impersonal or statistical terms.

3. The capacity we saw to care about and cry for strangers proves we are not like the cold-hearted bigots who caused this calamity. We must never allow our anger or fear to turn us in that direction.

4. While we should defend ourselves, the fundamental principles that define our nation require us to be more humane, more just, and more forgiving than those who want to harm us.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 3:21 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

So, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa cheated on his wife, making him eligible for membership in the Politicians Infidelity Club. There are lots of members including sitting and former big city mayors -- San Francisco’s Gavin Newsom, San Antonio’s Henry Cisneros, and New York’s Rudy Giuliani.

But why should we care?

Not that long ago, politicians could reasonably expect that their private lives would remain private. With some exceptions, journalists and political opponents followed an unwritten rule that private conduct was off limits.

That’s why few Americans knew that President Franklin Roosevelt was wheelchair-bound, let alone that he was probably having a long-term affair with his wife’s social secretary. This code of silence also protected countless others, including President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.

This changed in 1987 when presidential candidate Gary Hart was caught cavorting with a young model on a yacht named, appropriately, Monkey Business. The affair scuttled both his campaign and his career. More important, it was the turning point for the media. Thereafter, any conduct thought to reveal character became fair game.

Although many bemoan this new era of intense media coverage of marital infidelity and other eyebrow-raising after-hours conduct, the current rules of engagement are clear. Character is treated as a competence, and every public figure who engages in discrediting activity does so in reckless disregard for the likelihood that the conduct will become a damaging public spectacle.

Thus, even those who are tolerant of infidelity must acknowledge the ethical significance of behavior certain to injure institutions that need public trust as well as a long list of stakeholders including family, friends, supporters, and colleagues.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

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"Two wrongs don’t make a right."

Most of us heard this axiom of ethics during childhood whenever we tried to dodge blame or punishment by bringing up someone else’s misconduct. For example, when accused of lying, the child either points out that his brother told a bigger lie last week or accuses his accuser of lying in the past.

In rejecting attempts to divert attention from and dilute responsibility for our actions, our parents were instilling a vital moral message: Each of us must be judged on and held accountable for our behavior, regardless of what others may have done.

A similar basic rule of ethics underlies the popular parental observation: "I don’t care what Nancy’s mom lets her do, you are not going out dressed like that."

Sadly, these childhood lessons about accountability are often ignored by adults who passionately defend themselves or others with emotionally appealing but logically irrelevant and morally inconsequential diversionary arguments.

Paris Hilton’s defenders claimed she shouldn’t be punished for driving on a suspended license since the city attorney’s wife also did so.

Defenders of President Bush’s decision to commute Scooter Libby’s prison sentence point to ethically dubious pardons issued by President Clinton.

And, not surprisingly, scores of people convicted of obstruction of justice are using the Libby commutation to justify leniency in their cases. Paris Hilton’s sentence, President Bush’s commutation, and the propriety of each sentence imposed by a judge in an obstruction of justice case should be judged on their own merits.

Lady Justice is depicted wearing a blindfold because law and logic are to be administered objectively in a manner that ignores the identity, affiliations, or power of individuals being judged as well as the prejudices and preferences of those doing the judging.

It takes a disciplined mind to identify and ignore red herring arguments designed to distract us from honestly and objectively assessing each event.

And it takes character to apply our principles consistently, especially when it means accepting personal responsibility or acknowledging wrongdoing in those we support.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 2:41 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

When we hear the term character education, we usually think of the responsibility and opportunity of parents and primary school teachers to teach young children the difference between right and wrong and to inspire them to choose what is right.

But what about older children, young adults, and mature professionals? Is there a time when a person’s character has been formed, when the clay, so malleable in early youth, hardens like stone and character education becomes futile? Lots of people think so, not only about other people but about themselves.

While working to integrate ethical decision-making strategies into police and military academies, I’ve seen conclusive evidence that this notion of a fully developed or fixed character is not only wrong, it’s wasteful. Character development is a lifelong process, and all people have the capacity to be better today than they were yesterday.

Police and military academies explicitly recognize that good moral character is as vital as competence. While they try to select only young people of sterling character, they don’t leave it at that. A large portion of their training is designed to instill or enhance moral qualities associated with good character -- and it works.

It’s not that hard either. Guided discussions, simulations, and supervised field experiences all can be used to generate attitudes and habits that make new officers more diligent, thorough, and accurate; more committed to honesty; better able to control negative impulses; more willing to treat people -- even ones they don’t like -- with respect; and more likely to summon the moral courage to do the right thing even when it may be personally costly. This is high-level character education.

What about you? Are you as good as you will ever be?

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

As you celebrate this Fourth of July week, please take some time to discuss with your family the historical and spiritual significance of the Declaration of Independence and the 56 men who risked their lives issuing one of the great documents in human history.

At the core of the Declaration is the profound assertion that each of us has an inalienable right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Unfortunately, too many Americans believe they are entitled not simply to pursue happiness, but to be happy. This breeds an "I deserve it" mentality and "whatever it takes" strategies to help them get or keep the things they think will make them happy.

But alongside our inalienable rights to pursue happiness are inalienable responsibilities to be good and decent people. There’s nothing wrong with wanting and going after money, possessions, power, or status, provided we do so honorably. The deeper question is whether the pursuit of happiness is an adequate life goal.

Helen Keller said, "True happiness is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose."

The men who signed the Declaration of Independence weren’t simply pursuing happiness. Instead, they pledged their "lives, fortunes, and sacred honor" to establish a government based on moral principles. This took character. And character is what life is really about.

According to philosopher George Santayana, "Character is the basis of happiness, and happiness is the reward of character."

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

When you visit a medical specialist, an emergency room, or a patient in the hospital, are you ever struck by a sense that many doctors are so focused on the scientific aspects of diagnosis and treatment that they ignore, maybe even become annoyed by, things like pain, fear, or anxiety?

In her book Medicine As Ministry: Reflections on Suffering, Ethics, and Hope, Dr. Margaret Mohrmann, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Virginia, proposed a dramatically different perspective that could drastically change the nature of medical training and treatment.

She contended that doctors tend to view their roles and responsibilities too narrowly. The ultimate object of medicine, she wrote, is not just to diagnose and cure disease, but to alleviate suffering. In other words, doctors should see themselves as healers, not merely scientists.

"The practice of the ministry of medicine," she added, "is the practice of paying attention." Being attentive means sensing, treating seriously, and responding appropriately to the myriad feelings that accompany illness and injury.

In her view, the most needed remedy for the kinds of suffering doctors face daily is not more or better drugs, but more caring. She said doctors should listen more, even if it makes them weep. She believes compassion and empathy are healing agents for pain and anxiety. Genuine gestures of concern -- from a comforting squeeze of the hand to a follow-up phone call or visit -- can be as important as prescriptions and surgical procedures.

I think she’s right. It takes moral courage for a doctor to keep an open heart. But what a difference it would make.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

A successful man known for his philanthropy was driving his new car through a poor part of town. He’d driven the route hundreds of times before on his way home.

A young boy tried to flag him down. The man was in a hurry and didn’t want to get involved, so he pretended he didn’t see him. The traffic signal turned red, though. As he slowed for it, he heard a loud thud. The boy had thrown a brick at his car!

The man burst out of the car and grabbed the boy. "You juvenile delinquent!" he screamed. "You’ll pay for this or go to jail!"

"I’m sorry, mister," the boy cried. "My mom’s lying on the floor in our apartment. I think she’s dying! Our phone’s been cut off and I’ve been trying to get someone to stop. I didn’t know what else to do! Take me to jail, but call a doctor for my mom first."

The man was filled with shame. "I’m a doctor," he said. "Where is she?" The grateful boy took him to his apartment. The man administered CPR and called an ambulance.

"Will she live?" the boy sobbed.

"Yes, son, she will," the doctor said.

"Then it’s worth going to jail. I’m so sorry I hit your new car. You can take me in now."

"You’re not going anywhere," the doctor said. "It was my fault you had to throw a brick to get my attention."

The doctor made sure the boy was taken care of, and as he drove home he resolved not to fix the dent. He would keep it as a reminder that not everyone in need has a brick to throw.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

Are you as tired as I am of nasty name-calling parading as political discourse or social commentary? It’s as if we’ve lost the ability to disagree without disdain.

It’s easy to blame the media, and I do, but at the root of this coarsening of society is the well-founded belief that the public prefers entertainment to enlightenment and a view of the world where everyone who has a different point of view is either a fool or a villain.

What we get is a line-up of colorful, opinionated personalities paid to generate heat rather than light. I find it a tedious waste of time to hear predictable rants reflecting a flat two-dimensional perspective.

It wasn’t always this way.

From 1964 until he retired in 1977, a journalist named Eric Sevareid was given two minutes every evening on the popular CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite to editorialize on any topic he chose.

Dubbed "The Grey Eminence” by many admirers, Mr. Sevareid came across as an intellectual without arrogance. His commentaries were thoughtful and thought-provoking. He had a point of view, but I was convinced he came to his conclusions through objective analysis rather than a reflexive obsession to validate predispositions or prejudices.

I didn’t always agree with him, but because of his balanced, respectful, and insightful discussions, I understood the issues better.

Why the history lesson? As we enter a prolonged season of presidential politics, I hope you’ll join me in calling on our news agencies to find more Eric Sevareids. In the meantime, I urge you to turn down the volume every time some ideological salesman makes his pitch.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

When young children cover their eyes so they can’t see you, they think you actually aren’t there anymore. This misconception persists in many adults who think problems will go away if they refuse to see them.

History has shown otherwise. Ignored concerns don’t go away; they generally get worse.

Thus, willful blindness to incompetence, corruption, or irresponsibility usually leads to catastrophe. We've seen that in the scandals plaguing corporate America, Congress, and even the Catholic Church.

And yet our political leaders continue to ignore the blaring alarm warning sounded by the Paris Hilton fiasco.

The simple, indisputable fact is, for nearly two decades a shortage of jails and prisons in California has resulted in the systematic early release of convicted people who the courts said should remain behind bars.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, coping with shortage of space, has released more than 200,000 inmates early in just the last five years including "some who ended up committing murders and other serious crimes when they otherwise would have been behind bars."

The Times reported that "Many of those released had felony convictions and a history of violence and gang activity. Sixteen men released early were later charged with committing murders when they should have still been behind bars. At least seven have been convicted in those slayings."

How early are convicts released? The original sentence is almost automatically reduced to half for good behavior, and the Sheriff’s office said it’s not uncommon to release inmates after they’ve served 10 percent of their already reduced sentence.

Either the original sentences are irrationally long or the release policy is irrationally foolish and dangerous.

We can avoid facing our responsibilities, but we can’t avoid the consequences of avoiding our responsibilities.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

In the early nineties I was asked to spend a full day talking about ethics with the entire California Senate. I was their punishment. Three senators had been convicted the previous year and voters had passed an ethics initiative requiring legislators to receive education on ethical principles.

This was a high-profile, high-prestige program, and I didn’t want to be naïve about the political realities and rationalizations in Sacramento, so I spent days interviewing senators and staffers.

During one interview a senior staffer confided, "We need this program. People lie a lot up here." I wondered if I should act surprised. ("Lying in politics? I’m shocked!") But before I could respond, the staffer added, "I hardly ever lie."

"Gee," I thought to myself, "do you hardly ever take bribes?"

Although his statement sounded like a confession, he wasn’t embarrassed at all. In fact, he was proud. "Hardly ever lying" made him morally superior. In a culture where lying is common, the occasional liar feels like a saint. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

I’ve heard variations of this justification -- "I’m not so bad as long as others are worse" -- so many times I’ve given it a name: The Doctrine of Relative Filth.

It’s a rationalization used by cheating athletes and coaches, dishonest businessmen, and others who minimize their moral shortcomings by comparing themselves to those who have even lower standards.

What a pathetic defense! People of character aren’t satisfied being better than someone else. They strive to be the best they can be.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

It’s Memorial Day. What’s your plan? How are you going to spend this extra holiday?

Years ago I saw a Memorial Day cartoon depicting a car driving down a country road with a military cemetery in the background. The driver says, "Picnic blanket? Cooler? Charcoal grill? Frisbee? Did we forget anything?"

Sadly, many of us forget to remember why we have the day off. It’s not only our opportunity but our duty to stop our busy lives at least for a respectful moment to feel and express gratitude to the more than 600,000 men and women who have died in service of our nation, to keep us safe and preserve our way of life.

This duty is even more compelling now as the list of those we should honor grows every day. Take a moment to thank and think about all the men and women who have lost, and sadly those who will lose, their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Perhaps you can share some readings with your family, such as this poem from Linda Ellis:

Today, let’s bow our heads in honor of, and
Promise to remember often,
Those heroes who faced our enemies, but
Returned in a flag-draped coffin.

Though we cannot embrace their weathered
Necks nor shake their hands of toil,
We can instill our gratitude in every step that
We place on American soil.

For they gave us all they had to give -- and what
Could such a gift be worth?
'Tis a debt that could never be repaid with
Anything found on earth.

But we can give them something in return by
Ensuring their spirit is implanted
In our hearts...our minds...our daily lives by
Never taking this freedom for granted.

Here’s to those who fought in years gone by or
Defended freedom just yesterday
So that we may continue to live our lives in the
Cherished "American Way."

You can view the full poem at www.lindaslyrics.com.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

As I watched nearly five dozen eager graduates of the Los Angeles Police Academy throw their hats in the air celebrating their achievement, I knew these were the survivors of a rigorous training and their journey was not over.

Ahead of them is a full year of supervised field training, and it’s unlikely all of them will make it through their probation.

It’s difficult to cut hard-working and hopeful probationers, but if an organization wants to create a culture of excellence, its gatekeepers (those in charge of hiring, training, retention, and promotion) must exercise clear-eyed objectivity and demonstrate unflinching courage by weeding out those who are unwilling or unable to be excellent.

In policing and many other fields, the stakes are simply too high to knowingly accept less. No one wants a surgeon, teacher, or cop with marginal or mediocre skills or shaky character.

Yet everywhere we see signs of declining standards. Public and private organizations regularly lower their expectations due to political expediency, misplaced loyalty, forced diversity, or perceived necessity. Adequacy has become the shifting standard defined as "the best we can get."

Two results are inevitable when we lower standards: The quality of service continually sinks as fewer people strive for the best within them, and mediocrity becomes the norm as good people move up and out, leaving behind a growing proportion of so-so performers.

Two results are inevitable when we insist on excellence: Performance increases as everyone does better than they otherwise would, and some people will be asked to leave.

Management can avoid its responsibility, but it can’t dodge the consequences of shirking it. Excellence is achievable, but not without sacrifice and discipline.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

To receive my commentaries by e-mail at no charge, visit www.CharacterCounts.org.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

In 1958 President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared May 1st Law Day to honor our legal heritage, the role of law, and the rights and duties that are the foundation of our unique Constitutional democracy. This is a good time in our history to do that.

It's popular to express disdain for the law and for the many rules that regulate our daily lives -- "They make no sense." "They're wrong-headed." "Rules are made to be broken." Sadly, even our own government has occasionally evaded, bent, and broken laws to achieve a perceived "greater good."

These attitudes are short-sighted and dangerous.

Some people object to laws, which in our system include court interpretation, because ordinances install policies with which they disagree. To be sure, some laws are out of date, poorly worded, and badly conceived. Many are inconvenient.

These shortcomings, however, are inherent in the concept of a dynamic democracy governing a diverse population with conflicting views on what's right and wise. Without respect for the law, our society could devolve into constantly warring factions where physical power rather than popular vote would win the day.

Laws, including those that flow from our Constitution and Bill of Rights, establish standards of behavior needed to create a just, humane, and respectful society. They not only tell us what to do, they tell us who we are.

Rules define our expectations as well as our standards of right and wrong. Whether we're playing a game or trying to run a family, school, company, or community, clear and specific rules backed up by consistent and just enforcement make our lives more fair, efficient, and safe. And I'm all for them.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 4:22 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

In the early nineties I was asked to spend a full day talking about ethics with the entire California Senate. I was their punishment. Three senators had been convicted the previous year, and voters had passed an initiative requiring legislators to receive education on ethical principles.

This was a high-profile, high-prestige program, and I didn’t want to be naïve about Sacramento’s political realities and rationalizations. I spent days interviewing senators and staffers beforehand.

During one interview, a senior staffer confided, "We need this program. People lie a lot up here."

I wondered if I should act surprised. "Lying in the nation’s capitol? I’m shocked!" But before I could respond, the staffer added, "I hardly ever lie."

"Gee," I thought, "do you hardly ever take bribes?"

Although his statement about lying sounded like a confession, he wasn’t embarrassed at all. In fact, he was proud. "Hardly ever lying" made him feel morally superior. In a culture where lying is common, the occasional liar feels like a saint. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

I’ve heard variations of this justification ("I’m not so bad as long as others are worse") so many times that I’ve given it a name: The Doctrine of Relative Filth.

It’s a rationalization used by cheating athletes and coaches, dishonest businessmen, and others to minimize their moral shortcomings by comparing themselves to others who have even lower standards.

What a pathetic defense! People of character aren’t satisfied being better than someone else. They strive to be the best they can be.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

Years ago I was talking to about 50 Army generals responsible for weapons and equipment purchases. When I raised the issue of professional integrity, one of them reminded me there's a big gap between the way things are and the way they ought to be.

"Look, if the chairman of the Appropriations Committee comes from a district that makes trucks," he said, "we're going to buy those trucks whether or not they're the best."

I suggested that was bribery. Without missing a beat, he said, "That's not bribery -- it's extortion!" The implication was, if they didn't cater to the politicians, they would pay a high price.

He then added, "That's the way it is, the way it always was, and the way it always will be."

"How can you sound so powerless?" I asked. "You're a general."

"Yeah," he said, "but I'm only a one-star."

I'm only a one-star. I hear this abdication of moral responsibility a lot.

Later I heard a similar claim of helplessness from a middle manager who protested my appeal to moral courage. "Do you really expect someone with a well-paying job and heavy family obligations to put it all at risk?"

"Yes, I do," I replied. "There are lots of people who would rather lose their job than their integrity." More than ever we need people to stand up and be counted.

When there's a gap between ideals and reality, people of character don't surrender their ideals. They fight for them. They work to change the way things are to the way they ought to be.

As Edward Everett Hale said, "It's true I am only one, but I am one. And the fact that I can't do everything will not prevent me from doing what I can do."

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 5:04 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

"Can you believe it?" my wife asked me.

"Believe what?" I replied.

"People are calling for the president of Virginia Tech to resign. Doesn't the poor man have enough to deal with right now? What did they expect him to do?"

Her passionate outrage infected me. She was so right. Everyone at ground zero coping with the aftermath of a mass murder deserves condolences, not criticism. We ought to empathize with them, not indict them.

In the name of compassion, common decency, and good sense, can't we put a moratorium on blaming?

There is always time to find fault, to investigate, and to evaluate what was done and what could have been done better, but surely that time is not now.

This is a time to grieve, sympathize, and console. A time to support everyone who must overcome their sense of shock and sorrow and to devote every ounce of their emotional energy to help victims and their families. To do less is indecent and unfair.

Is it a flaw in our national character that makes us so quick to play the blame game?

Fueled by a compulsive need to hold someone responsible, journalists had no trouble finding finger-pointers and blame-throwers. Many were anxious to exploit the human calamity and push political and private agendas against violent video games, lax gun-control laws, or immigration policies allowing too many international students (never mind the fact that the killer became a permanent resident when he was eight). Some even blamed God.

But it is the posse of rush-to-judgment second guessers who faulted university administrators that disturbs me the most. It's not only their terrible timing I object to; it's the irrational assumption that behind every tragedy is malice or mismanagement or someone who should have done something differently. It's as if finding a human target for our feelings of helplessness or rage will diminish our anxiety about our vulnerability to circumstances we can't control.

Perhaps there is no one to blame but the killer himself.

Despite our greatest efforts and highest hopes, horrible things will happen at unpredictable times in unpredictable places. That includes the scary reality that mad people exist and will sometimes find their victims.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 4:02 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

The story was horrible when told in just bare facts – a man armed with two pistols chained the door of a building full of classrooms at Virginia Tech University and methodically executed 32 students and teachers before killing himself.

But as details poured in, it got worse.

Names and descriptions of the victims. Accounts of survivors and witnesses. Efforts of frightened parents and friends to find out if their loved ones were safe.

As a father, I immediately thought how I'd feel if any of my children had been in the killing zone. I felt the desperation of frantically and fearfully seeking the answer to the only question in the world that mattered: "Is my child safe?"

I could imagine the torture of every minute not knowing the answer and the stomach-churning fear of bad news. I cried thinking about the agony of learning the worst or the relief and gratitude of hearing the simple phrase: "I'm okay, Dad."

Once I got over my self-centered nightmare, my thoughts turned to the students and teachers who were there. Their lives, and the lives of their families and friends, were changed forever. I cried yet again, this time in vicarious joy for the families of those who lived and in profound sympathy for those who didn't.

It's impossible to avoid cliches as I think about this historic event that will be remembered alongside the Oklahoma City bombing and the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

While there's nothing original about lamenting the fearsome randomness of tragedy and good fortune, it's sobering to be reminded of the fragility of life and the wisdom of taking no day for granted.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

Don Imus, one of the original "shock jocks," is a 66-year-old cranky but clever commentator who built a huge audience that liked his rude, crude, and controversial remarks.

The I-Man, as he calls himself, is rich and influential. He made about $10 million a year, and a continual parade of politicians, journalists, celebrities, and authors lined up to be on his show.

But when this very powerful man referred to a handful of college girls who recently played in the NCAA women's national championship final basketball game for Rutgers as "nappy-headed hos," he caused a volcanic eruption of outrage that forced potential guests to boycott and sponsors to withdraw. Now he's been fired by both CBS and MSNBC.

But don't worry; I'm sure we haven't heard the last of him. He'll undoubtedly write a book and, after a cooling-off period, find another broadcasting home.

Although his banishment from the airways probably won't last long, his termination will serve as a landmark in broadcasting history precisely because he is so famous.

Some will diminish the significance of "The Day Don Imus Was Fired" as political correctness gone berserk, but it's much more. Firing him struck an important and much-needed blow for civility and standards of respectful discourse.

It's not a question of free speech. The government didn't fine or jail Mr. Imus for his offensive and hurtful words; his companies fired him by saying, in essence, "You may have the right to demean innocent young women with racist and sexist insults, but it's not right and you can't do it on the platform we built and paid for."

In a letter to his employees, CBS president Les Moonves said, "[Imus] has flourished in a culture that permits a certain level of objectionable expression that hurts and demeans a wide range of people. In taking him off the air, we take an important and necessary step, not just in solving a unique problem, but in changing that culture."

I agree.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

A recent CNN special on the late great Pope John Paul II was an eloquent account of the life and death of a man who demonstrated a form of leadership that is much too rare in the world -- moral leadership.

By far the most traveled pontiff, he constantly reached out to people all over the world demonstrating exceptional love and compassion for the poor and afflicted even as his own illnesses caused him discomfort and pain. He hoped his ability to carry on in the face of his own clearly visible suffering would give strength and confidence to others -- and it surely did. That's leadership.

He was a man of peace who urged charity, forgiveness, and respect -- even for those who did not share his beliefs. He was firm and tenacious in his convictions, but somehow he avoided being arrogant or pompous.

He earned commendation and condemnation for his conservative views on family and sexual issues including divorce, birth control, celibacy for priests, and homosexuality as well as for his disapproval of anti-Semitism and his desire to end the Church's official hostility toward Jews (he recognized the state of Israel and was the first Pope to enter a synagogue).

Pope John treated all religions with respect, hosting an international inter-faith meeting on peace after 9/11 and meeting with leaders of all faiths. He preached religious freedom, including the rights of Muslims to practice their faith, and was also the first pontiff to enter a mosque.

Yes, he had detractors, and his bold positions prevented him from being universally loved. Still, he was respected, not only by the millions who agreed with him but by millions more who did not. I think it's safe to say he was known, loved, and admired by more people than any other leader on earth.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 3:16 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

Years ago, Lily Tomlin made a timeless observation: "No matter how cynical I get, I just can't keep up."

Remember the inspiring story about Pat Tillman, the pro football star who turned down a multimillion dollar contract to join the Army Rangers so he could help hunt down Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan?

He was killed in action and awarded a Silver Star during a nationally televised memorial service. His story galvanized patriotic fervor for the war.

A newly released 1,000-page report summarizing an investigation spurred by Tillman's family confirmed earlier stories that top Army officials knew prior to the widely publicized memorial that Corporal Tillman had, in fact, been killed by friendly fire from his own unit. Nine officers were faulted for "critical errors" including false and misleading statements calculated to conceal facts that would have embarrassed the Army and possibly damaged the war effort.

This does not detract from the true heroism of Pat Tillman's willingness to sacrifice his life in defense of his country nor should it discredit military combat operations. Sadly, friendly-fire deaths are an inevitable risk of war – the Pentagon has reported 22 such deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Still, it makes a big difference to the families of fallen soldiers and to the nation. Tillman's family was not comforted by or grateful for the false account of his death. They were outraged that they were not told the truth.

Some people think we can't handle the truth, but we're still entitled to it. That's an essential tenet of democracy. When public trust is involved, an ugly truth is better than a pretty lie.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

I won't go as far as Gordon Gecko, the movie character who declared "greed is good," but profits are important -- beyond the fact that no unsubsidized company can sustain itself without them and that owners and investors have a right to a return on their investment.

From an ethical perspective, however, there's a great difference between public and private companies.

To the owner of a private business, return on investment may mean more than profit. Thus, in deciding what the working hours will be, how much to pay employees, how much quality to build into a product or service, how much to charge customers, and whether to expand existing facilities or enter new markets, the owner's profit motive may be primary or secondary. There's no need for a private owner to maximize profits.

It's generally assumed that this outlook changes once a company goes public. While many public companies continue to be guided by strongly imprinted personal values of their founders, in time that influence tends to diminish or disappear, replaced by Wall Street values focused exclusively on financial performance.

Consequently, though ethics and social responsibility are often talked about, in the end they are viewed pragmatically: Will they contribute to the success of the company (measured by increasing stock price)?

There's nothing wrong with the profit motive. Wall Street can define its own objectives and criteria of success, but ultimately all human behavior is and must be judged in moral terms including honesty, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and good citizenship.

The profit motive can't immunize anyone from moral judgment or excuse short-sighted or selfish decisions to maximize personal compensation or to please investors (usually dominated by huge mutual, pension, or hedge funds that measure success strictly in terms of current financial returns) at the expense of other ethical principles.

Shareholder interests are important, but so are those of other stakeholders – customers, employees, vendors, and the public.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 2:25 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

According to a survey of parents, 93 percent of them want schools to teach basic values like honesty and respect. The problem is, schools are left to contend with the seven percent who disagree. In any enterprise that seeks to avoid conflict and find consensus, that small minority may often dictate policy.

Too often, aggressive objectors bully administrators into quick surrender with the threat of contentious and prolonged opposition. This has created a tyranny of the minority. The way it works is that five percent make so much noise they seem like 25 percent, and when it comes to a decision, they're treated as if they were 55 percent.

I strongly support the right of all people to speak their minds and the corollary duty of administrators to listen to and consider what everyone has to say. My concern is, we seem to have elevated the right to be heard into a right to win. We seem to be turning the basic democratic principle "the majority rules" upside down so that "the minority controls." That's not how democracy is supposed to work.

Of course, the will of the majority never should be allowed to trample basic human rights of a minority. I'm not talking about persecution or discrimination. I'm talking about how we deal with disagreements.

Just as we must always guard against oppressive majorities, we must also guard against dictatorial minority philosophies. That means we need leaders who have the moral courage to stand up to those who would thwart the will of the majority with demands, protests, and backdoor politicking.

We also need more people who are willing to lose and subject their personal preferences to the will of the majority. Democracy requires respect from all sides.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Leave a Comment (0)

Every time my wife and I leave a Lakers game we're confronted by half dozen or more beggars with outreached cups. Usually we try to avoid eye contact and pass quickly -- annoyed rather than moved. I've got lots of justifications for this callous indifference:

"It's a scam."
"Surely, they have other options to begging."
"They'll probably use the money for drugs or alcohol."
"How can I give to one or two an