What Kind of Message Does Supporting a Criminal Send to Our Kids?

When we talk about a politician's convictions, we shouldn't be referring to his crimes

Think of the message we’re about to send to our kids. For all of my adult life, I’ve always lectured my children on the importance of obeying the law. To me, respecting the rules represents the foundation of a successful and prosperous civilization.

But today, I’m tempted to feel as if I’m doing my children a disservice by repeating a tired message that’s clearly no longer relevant. Recent events suggest that the only benefits in the United States of America come to those who lie, cheat, and steal.

That’s how you become president. That’s how you become revered, respected, and rich. It feels as if our indifference has created a social pressure that compels our children to think of people who follow the rules as “suckers and losers.”

That’s the message our society has embraced. But popular opinion doesn’t change the fact that the message is an absolute disgrace.

I reject the ideology of selfishness and lawlessness

As for me, I’m still going to tell my kids to respect the law and respect the rules. I’m going to educate them with this message because I personally think that’s the only way to behave. I think that’s the only way to live to give yourself the best chance of experiencing a decent life.

I still believe that, in the end, criminal behavior is punished one way or another. But my faith in this belief has often been tested, no more so than in the last decade.

Consider the failure we currently face as a nation. Consider what we’re on the precipice of having to endure. Anybody who claims to be a moral leader in this society has to be ashamed of the widespread rejection of basic human decency. The various shepherds out there should look at their flocks and recognize that the majority of them are incapable of making the right choice on what should be a very easy decision.

Whatever is written about this moment in the pages of history is going to be a massive embarrassment. I’m ashamed to be living in these ignorant times.

What kind of a model have we embraced?

It’s humiliating to live in a country where so many people align themselves with the side of lawlessness. It’s humiliating to see people celebrate the actions of a bully. There are so many. What kind of a message does that send to our children? What incentive do they have to follow the rules, when the people who follow the rules are treated with such derision?

What do modern events suggest about our history? You often hear about the sequel that ruins the original film. That feels like an apt example of what we see today. The office of the president is about to be stained forever. That stain will tarnish the legacies of all those who came before.

Or maybe we’ll finally be empowered with the vision to see these men as they truly are. The time to revere any figure of authority appears to have ended. They are our servants, and time and time again they have proven to be woefully inadequate. The office should not be leveraged to erase the flaws of the man who holds it.

You cannot erase history. You cannot transform a lie into the truth no matter how many people vote for it.

If you trust our legal system and you trust the hardworking law enforcement officers of this country, if you trust all the institutions we’re supposed to revere and hold dear, then you have to reject the idea of elevating a felon to the highest office in the land.

We have to stop revering those who flaunt and disrespect the law.

What have we done?

We find ourselves in an untenable situation. It’s hard to see how we can go forward from this point. How, in this modern era, is it possible to raise good children who care about the fabric of society?

Too often, people say absurd things like a person shouldn’t have their life ruined because of a single mistake. But what about when that single mistake happens to be a very serious crime? Having your life ruined because you’ve committed a very serious crime is the whole point.

That is the deterrent. Consequences are designed to prevent you from committing these very serious crimes in the first place. People need examples to make them remember that committing crimes will ruin their lives and the lives of others.

What kind of a message does it send when instead of accountability, we provide criminals with power so that they can inflict even more harm upon the innocent? It doesn’t feel as if our society is looking out for decent people, not at all.

We need to cultivate more respect for the survivors

Our society is already more focused on revering criminals than it is in providing reparations for those that survived unprovoked and terrible abuses. Our society often gives off the impression that it cares nothing about survivors.

Their pain is considered an inconvenience.

We don’t listen to survivors. Powerful entities step forward to discredit them. Propaganda campaigns are launched to generate pity for the attackers. They say, “Oh, don’t be so hard on them. They learned their lesson.”

But we never provide equivalent coverage discussing the stories of the people that were harmed. Those voices are silenced. They’re expected to suffer and be forgotten.

Or if by some miracle restitution is achieved, you get an endless stream of biased media coverage that acts as if the punishment was worse than the original crime. A narrative is launched that suggests the aggressor has become the victim.

But again, the reason that we have law-abiding people is because rational individuals wish to avoid the consequences of lawless behavior. Good people don’t want to hurt their neighbors. Good people want to help their neighbors.

We need to make an example out of people, to provide a reassurance that our society has a commitment to justice. If there are no consequences for lawless behavior, bad people won’t hesitate to cause harm.

Our leaders should be the best of us, not the worst

How can politicians who are themselves criminals, claim to be hard on criminals? If they are going to punish criminal behavior, then they should start with themselves.

That would be the most powerful example, right? They need to establish that nobody is above the law. But when you elect a criminal to an office of power, the rule of law loses its teeth. You also have to wonder if rather than punishing criminals, the new administration will target the innocent.

We live in uncertain and dangerous times. It’s upsetting that awful behavior is held up as an example for our children. It’s even worse that decency is a source of mockery and derision. How, in this environment, can any parent stand a chance of conveying the lessons that will lead to a prosperous and satisfying life?

At this point, I can only hold out hope that the consequences of lawlessness cannot be delayed forever. In my personal experience as a human being, I’ve found that you are happier, healthier, and more prosperous when you embrace the way of truth.

It’s unfortunate to see so many obstacles placed in the way of decent people who only aspire to spread an ideology of mutual prosperity. I’ll continue to encourage my own children to revere the path of righteousness. Still, it saddens me to live in a society that has so fully rejected ideas that used to be widely regarded as the standard to which we all must aspire.

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