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All this talk about ethics in the court system, in business or in life, in general, is laughable. We should not need guidelines to help us be “ethical” and do the right thing when it comes to others in life who cross our paths. It should be common sense.
I was working on one of my college degrees, and it required an ethics course. I’ve never had a course in ethics or even read a book about it. It is possible under some circumstances to use the College-Level Examination Program for a college course. You take a test on the topic, and if you pass, you get full college credit. I breezed through the 100 questions and passed with almost a perfect score. That said, I am far from perfect, but I do try to be honest and ethical. Do I fail sometimes, yes.
We are always reading about someone who violates the “ethics” rules in politics, business or community. People who violate the ethics guidelines mostly seem to do it for some sort of personal gain. The rules and guidelines are not going to stop them. It is about doing the right thing for the right reasons, not selfish reasons (money, sex, fame as examples).
For those in public service, being honest and doing the right thing is very important. If you can’t do it without being tomorrow’s headlines, you are in the wrong profession.
David Winslow
Brewer
