corruption

Fathers and leaders, love and discipline

Parenting is tough for anyone. For those in the public eye, though, the parent – child relationship gets scrutinized. And it brings up questions.

Is it possible to be a father who has unconditional love for his children and at the same time be an effective leader—even president of the United States of America? At a time when loving fathers and competent leaders are both so greatly needed, it is hoped that the answer could easily and always be “yes.” It seems the two qualities would be complementary, not mutually exclusive.

It’s not so simple.

Unconditional love is not mere indulgence. It also provides discipline. Sometimes children—even adult children—need guidance, painful truth-telling, or just hearing the word, “no.”  

A nation that will soon be 247 years old is not so mature that it can go without a loving dose of discipline from its leaders, as well. It needs a balanced budget, law and order, and a secure border.

President Joe Biden excels at the first half of being a good father. He loves his family, and it seems as though he would do anything for them. But he must balance that unconditional love with being an effective leader of our nation. It requires delivering discipline.

Alleged Biden family corruption is staggering, especially where his son Hunter is involved. But the powerful are powerfully protected. The nation may never know the possible harm this family has done to the country. One thing we do know is that it would have been helpful if Biden had the ability to be both a good father and good leader by saying, “No, Hunter, it is not wise to receive millions of dollars as a board member for a Ukrainian energy company when you know nothing about energy and when it’s my position as (then) vice president to direct diplomatic ties with the country. No, Hunter, I will not threaten to withhold a U.S. loan guarantee to Ukraine, made possible and backed up by hard-working American taxpayers, unless Ukraine’s top prosecutor gets fired for investigating this energy board. No, Hunter, it is not a good idea to receive millions of dollars from entities in China because it will be perceived as influence peddling with our adversary.”

In 2019, the New Yorker ran a piece about whether or not Hunter’s escapades would jeopardize his father’s presidential campaign. The article states that Hunter pressured his father to make a public statement of support for his extramarital affair with his brother’s widow. Then candidate Biden stated, “Hunter, I don’t know if I should. But I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”

And he did.

And he still does. Biden lacks a father’s discipline. For his son. And for his country.

Government spending is out of control. Crime is rampant. Our border is not secure. These problems can never be solved by someone who lacks discipline.

Personally, Biden has been through a lot. Losing his first wife and a child in a car accident and then losing a second child to cancer are unthinkable tragedies. It’s understandable that the trauma would reshape him. Perhaps with his surviving children, he can only manage to indulge and no longer has the strength or desire to discipline.

The same may be true for how he runs the Oval Office.

For Christians, God is our heavenly father. He’s all-loving. But not just merely indulgent. He gave us the Ten Commandments. They are not suggestions. God provides both love and discipline.

Yes, it is possible for a father to have unconditional love for his child and at the same time be an effective leader by providing discipline. Lots of people do it.

It’s just not something that this president can do.

Clinton’s history of corruption, without consequences, should be a deal breaker

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Historically, voters send an individual to the White House who is in good standing on Election Day. Most serve their country well.

Sometimes, though, the president surprises and disappoints citizens by committing a potentially impeachable act after being sworn in. Voters don’t have a crystal ball and can’t predict what any elected official will do, once in office.

This election, though, voters know before marking their ballot that Hillary Clinton has committed wrongdoings so serious that they would likely be impeachable offenses had she committed them as president.

The Watergate Articles of Impeachment show uncanny similarities between the actions of President Nixon and those of presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton.

The articles charged Nixon for, “Withholding relevant and material evidence or information from lawfully authorized investigative officers and employees of the United States,” and also, “Interfering or endeavoring to interfere with the conduct of investigations by the Department of Justice of the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation,…and Congressional Committees.”

Clinton stated that she, “never received nor sent any material that was classified” on her private email server while Secretary of State, a claim the FBI found to be untrue. Also, Clinton’s emails were deleted after she received a congressional subpoena. And Clinton’s phones were destroyed with hammers, according to an FBI report.

There is the unseemly defense that she may have been unaware of what was happening or couldn’t remember what happened in the State department, for which she had final authority, as she repeatedly testified. But that could make her the most unknowing and forgetful person to seek the highest office in the land. If not brazenly corrupt, then completely incompetent.

Remarkably, the FBI has characterized this behavior as carelessness. For the average citizen, it would likely be considered felonious.

For Nixon, it caused him to resign from the presidency. But for Clinton, she’s still on path to ascend to the Oval Office.

It seems that Hillary Clinton is above the law, that the rules don’t apply to her, and that she receives special treatment instead of consequences.

Donald Trump is a flawed candidate, as well, with a cringe-worthy communication style. But although he’s not a great talker, he is a hard worker.

He sees the work that needs to be done in this country including appointing Supreme Court justices who will defend and uphold the Constitution, rebuilding our nation through a strong military and strong trade agreements that will benefit American workers, and repealing Obamacare and reducing regulations that are strangling small businesses and the jobs they create.

Most importantly, though, he’s called attention to the corruption in politics and the bias in the mainstream media for liberal candidates. Our country won’t have a chance to accomplish anything until these two wrongs get righted.

The Center for Public Integrity reports that 430 individuals working in the journalism field made political donations and that nearly all of the money, or about 96 percent, benefited Clinton. The donation totals were relatively small: $382,000 for Clinton and $14,000 for Trump. But the money isn’t the biggest problem. It’s the mindset of the journalists, who control the airways and the newspapers—who hold the extremely powerful role of telling voters what to think about. And those journalists have invested financially, and emotionally, in a Clinton win.

The mainstream media is no longer the trusted, watchdog press that it used to be.

If the numbers aren’t damaging enough, recall the imagery of the hug that moderator Rachel Maddow, of MSNBC, gave Hillary Clinton after a Democratic debate.

The press is hugging Clinton. Figuratively, literally and financially.

It seems that Hillary Clinton, if not outright corrupt, is a benefactor of corruption. Positive changes won’t happen with her.

My father had a way of sharing his wisdom and then ending with, “Don’t ever forget that.” One of those teaching moments came when I was quite young, and it stuck with me. He told me that I wasn’t better than anyone else. But at the same time, nobody—(including a presidential candidate)—was better than I was.

And he’s still right.

Hillary Clinton is not above the law.

I’m not sure if Donald Trump can make America great again, but he correctly understands the best way to start—by draining the swamp of corruption.