THINKING OUTSIDE THE POLITICAL BOX
Effective Government = Ethics + Constitutional Law Knowledge + Mental Health and Acuity
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Rlsheehan at English Wikipedia.
The news media peppers us with reports of ethics violations and incompetence in government daily.
Every year, many professionals in the United States are required by the various government agencies and professional associations to submit proof of ethics training, and professional competence. Some professionals consider this a nuisance, but it is vital to public safety. We do not want falling bridges, surgeries gone wrong, etc. We want to be kept safe by lifeguards trained in lifesaving skills. Car drivers, truckers, bus drivers, airline pilots and many more with the potential of harming others are required to demonstrate initial and periodic competence, good judgment, ethical behavior.
The professions that have the widest and most serious impact on our lives are those of public servants. At the federal level we have a President, a Vice President, 100 Senators, 435 voting members of the House of Representative, nine Supreme Court Justices. That is a total of 546 top level individuals with sway over the air we breathe; the water we drink; the food we consume; the people we prosecute, imprison, and execute; and the lethal weapons in our armories (including nuclear weapons). And there are mirror positions in each of the 50 states and in the U S territories; and hundreds of lower-tier public servants.
Does it make sense for over 334 million Americans to place their lives at risk at the hands of 546 people that have not been assessed on their knowledge of ethical behavior, Constitutional Law, and mental health and acuity? Is it not prudent to expect that level of qualification from seekers and holders of public office?
We have the resources to compose basic criteria and design testing, for instance:
· The American Bar Association, reports that there are 1.3 million lawyers in the US. Could that body not establish the test questions concerning ethics and the body of Constitutional Law that rules over our lives?
· Wikipedia reports that in 2018 there were over 985,000 practicing physicians in the US. Is that not enough to conduct mental acuity and health examinations of candidates? We already do that for hundreds of thousands of Armed Forces recruits.
The present and future security of our citizens, of our country, and of the world community are at stake here.
What do you think?
Great question!
"We have the resources to compose basic criteria and design testing, for instance:
· The American Bar Association, reports that there are 1.3 million lawyers in the US. Could that body not establish the test questions concerning ethics and the body of Constitutional Law that rules over our lives?
· Wikipedia reports that in 2018 there were over 985,000 practicing physicians in the US. Is that not enough to conduct mental acuity and health examinations of candidates? We already do that for hundreds of thousands of Armed Forces recruits."