Integrity

Integrity

Let me see if I understand – Karl Rove outs a CIA agent to Bob Novak, a well-defined crime (actually treason) and Judy Miller and a reporter from Time go to jail…So I tell 3 people a company secret. One of them steals it and the other two get fired. I’m beginning to understand the new world of politics. What would make it more accurate is if the person who told gets promoted and the person who stole it is given access to more secrets.

What shakes me up is that I have a peculiar notion of integrity. Silly me – I value it. Now I have to confess I violate my own standards, but it gnaws at me that I do.

Yesterday I bought something – I went to pay by credit card (it was $45)..The person asked if I had cash and I had $28. He said, “Im ticked off at my boss. Give me the $28 and we’ll call it even.” And I did. I sold myself and the owner and (really) the ticked off clerk for a lousy $17. I can’t let it lie. Not too long ago, I would have been overjoyed at ‘found’ money. Now I will end up going back there and asking to re-exchange my credit card for $28 in cash.

I know the employee pocketed the money.. and I let him. Is there really any difference between Rove, Novak and me?

Integrity only counts if there’s nobody there to see. This is the ancient story of the master who tells his disciples to get a chicken and when no one can see, kill it. All the disciples came back, except one. Still holding the chicken he said, “Wherever I went, both the chicken and I could see.”