"Politicians hold many responsibilities in running a nation. Their policy making decisions affect everyone in the country. A chief aspect of politicians' responsibility lies in their moral and ethical behavior. Scandals have disrupted the nation many times in it's history and always have wide repercussions. Politicians should uphold moral behavior as well as make ethical policies.

Politicians are [our] most public figures. In this lies the responsibility of being trustworthy, moral, ethical and most importantly, honest. When a citizen assumes the role of public policy maker the decisions they make also become more public. The United State relies on policy makers to balance the country's interests fairly to achieve humane and moral policies. Politicians lives are more publicized than citizens because they are the leaders and we have a right to know what type of people they are.

. . .The Watergate. . .scandal violated the principle of responsibility which simply states that public figures should contribute to the democratic process and avoid the appearance of wrongdoing. Nixon admitted that misjudgments were made; but not by him. Nixon claimed the mistakes which were made were not the fault of his judgment. Nixon failed to take any responsibility for his actions and spent much of the rest of his life making excuses. Nixon's policies greatly benefited the nation, many will argue. However, his lack of moral responsibility tarnished his personal reputation and cast a dark shadow of the officer of the President.

The current president [has been] plagued by many small scandals. The former Surgeon General, Joycelyn Elders [was] a source of controversy. She blasted many moral choices made by Republicans and advanced [an] unethical agenda. She supported giving condoms to school children and told right-to-life advocates to get over their "love affair with fetuses". She made statements saying AIDS research should be funded more than research for heart disease and cancer because only old people are affected by the latter. These types of statements show that Elders has no respect for "seasoned" citizens or sense of moral responsibility. The final blow came when she advocated the legalization of drugs. Only two weeks after this outcry her son was arrested for selling cocaine, and admitted to being a drug addict. Her disregard of values and ethics brought [about] her demise as a political figure. Her very appearance on the political front, shows how responsible behaviors is plummeting in the country.

Adultery is a political scandal for many. Gary Hart, John F. Kennedy, and even President Clinton have fought this battle. It is unethical and dishonest to have these. . .affairs in the first place; however, a greater wrong is committed when these figures try to lie their way out of it. The lies about the affairs harm the politician's sense of responsibility more than the act itself. . . .What type of leaders can we expect to have when they cannot care for their own family? The answer could be frightening. Adultery has much deeper repercussions than the sexual affair itself. It remains a serious political suicide for many who get involved.

Many examples of past wrong doings can be cited. Nixon, Elders and the adultery scandals are only a few. However,*many politicians have good hearts and moral principles. With the flood of new Republican legislators and governors the public responded to the family values and moral policies of the party.

The government is trying to respond to unethical practices. Lawmakers intend to push legislation designed to make Congress comply to ethical rules. It also planned to re authorize the Office of Governmental Ethics. This independent body would enforce the Ethics in Government Act as an independent agency. If these efforts are successful, Congress will be forced to clean up it's act.

Another proposal is to have an independent agency to patrol all branches of government. The National Commission on Public Integrity would have authority over conflicts of interest and would investigate all forms of misconduct. This would replace the splits in the duties of the Department of Justice, Council of Government Ethics and the White House Counsel's Office. The commission would have the authority to pursue disciplinary action against violators of laws, rules or regulations. This action might include fines, demotion or removal from federal government.

The Christian Coalition, comprised of members of the religious right, is criticized in the press. However, members like Jon Christensen are making strong policies and trying to promote values. They maintain strong sense of values by opposing abortion and violent television. Making values-oriented policies helps politicians see how important their behavior is. The Christian Coalition should not be seen as a radical group; they are intelligent conservatives who are able to make decisions based on morals which should not be seen as wrong. This group gains the support of many of America's church going families.

Some people in government are truly good people. A Texas Representative, Wright Patman, died in office at the age of 82. An old woman from his district stated after his death "He rose up mighty high, but he brung us all up with him." There is no map to success in polities for all to follow. To achieve success you must have a goal and be willing to achieve it. When people in politics find a way to set a goal and strive to reach it, they set a goal for the entire country. When it is achieved the entire country benefits.

Three years ago the Senate approved the Supreme Court nomination of Clarence Thomas. Since that time he has influenced other Justices with his conservative racial views. . . .He believes the only way to overcome discrimination is by hard work. This has motivated many to stop relying on quotas to obtain employment and start proving their self-worth. With his firm conservative stance on racial issues he has become the "court's conscience on civil rights" according to Clint Bolick, a Thomas aid in the 1980's. By making fair and informed decisions he has led many minorities to help themselves and succeed.

The public should pay more attention to politics. They should be able to [punish] ethical infractions [with their votes]. No special committees would be necessary if the public [accepted] responsibility. . . .The public should [be] concerned about the morals of the person they are voting for. In our republican style of government, public opinion, if the public is educated, can change the political arena. . . .Government has often been plagued by scandals and ethical dilemmas. Watergate, Joycelyn Elders, and the adultery scandals are only a few examples. However, things are changing. Reforms are being proposed which will help to alleviate the temptation to participate in unethical behavior.

As time goes by government may be able to improve itself. Then someday we will be able to say that all politicians 'Rose up mighty high, but he brung us all up with him.'"
Aimee Sharp, Concordia High School, Concordia, Kansas

"In the fast paced world that we live in, many things are put on the back burner. These things vary from honesty, to pride in a job well done, to the ties of a family, with the latter being the most important. The family is supposed to be supportive of each other, live, care, and have faith in each [other]. . . .the lack of values in the family is the start of. . .our nation's problems. . .The family has thrown away the idea of family values and adopted an attitude of having nicer things and being free of obligations. Parents are more worried about making money at their jobs, than spending time with family.

This greed and independence sets the stage for the second irresponsibility, society itself. It accepts the fact that one out of every two couples will end up in divorce. What happens to the children of these divorced parents? Evidence shows that children who do not grow up with their natural parents are more likely to fail in school, have social difficulties, and be arrested. An alarming eighty percent of the adolescents in psychiatric hospitals come from broken families. Stemming form the easy divorce problem, the parents who get the divorces are also a factor in this irresponsibility. When parents can't get along anymore, they simply get a divorce, forgetting the children who will be torn between them. . . .However, the failure of the family may not be as complete as everybody says. When women went into the work force, many new problems arose, and fortunately, [some] solutions. When the question of child care and maternity leave arose, many companies around the nation passed legislation required coverage for pregnancy and pregnancy related [situations] similar to that provided for disabilities. Courts have also ruled that women cannot be deprived of their accumulated seniority merely because they take maternity leave. These laws allow women to have children, care for them, and have a job to go back to when they're ready. Even the government is taking steps to change. They are debating on a variety of Family and Medical Leave acts. . . .Companies and government [are trying] to help the family. . . .Studies have shown that day-cares do a better job of taking care of and teaching children than they are given credit for. Children, raised by day-care providers, grow up like everybody else. Even though the day-care provider is not the child's true parent, the child is learning family and social skills, all of which would probably not be learned if the working parents were the only source of values to the child. Schools also are helping [to promote] family values. By teaching respect, tolerance, and honesty in schools, many children [benefit]. Even if these few values are not strengthened at home, the children have at least a little something to believe in. . . .Family matters have gone from never being even mentioned to being the main conversation at everyday dinners and even formal dinner parties. Even television shows have taken a role in promoting the family. They deal with such skills as respect and love for family members to how to deal with family problems. Granted these are only television families, but when one family can do it, other families try their hardest to get along and learn.

I believe that work schedules should be flexible for working parents, not just mothers. With a flexible work schedule, parents would be able to be home when their children get home from school and when a child is sick. With this, parents would be able to impart their own morals and values on their children, rather than having to pay someone to do it.

"Today, with divorce becoming increasingly more popular, single and step families raising children, and an increase in teen pregnancy, it is not uncommon to wonder where family values have gone. Values are 'concepts of right and wrong by which societies define themselves'. This definition fits families also. Concepts of right and wrong by which families define themselves gives us a definition of family values. However, numerous amounts of kids will never grow up within a family, and an overwhelming number that do have families will never know the worth of values. It is the family's job to teach right from wrong and establish values within that unit, not the teachers nor the next door neighbor. . . .There was once a time when divorce was uncommon, so most kids were raised by two biological parents. Within this kind of family, children felt secure and safe. Families knew the functions they were to perform: to support, to love, to protect, and to teach. Years ago, kids knew to accept responsibility for themselves and their actions. Today, kids taught to place the blame on others. Parents were once the role models for children. Such parents are now taught to find. For example, a survey detecting the United States views on values discovered that 54% of the people surveyed felt that we are less honest now. Moreover, few institutions are the teachers of morals they once were. . . .If values are an important part of a family, children will be affected in a positive way, because children benefit from having their most basic emotional needs met. For example, they will not be as tempted to join gangs. Amanda McDavis a 14 year-old from Arizona said, 'I think one reason kids are in gangs is because they need to feel they belong to something. They don't get that at home.' She is one of the exceptions, modeling her behavior after her family. Children will be more likely to meet the demands of school if family values are important in their lives. . . .Parents must begin by concentrating on their children at least as much as their careers. Everyone needs to take responsibility for his/her actions and respect others. In other words, the parents and children share household chores, family problems, and individual victories. Communication is the key to a happy functioning family. Communication of expectations, philosophies of right and wrong, religious concepts, and individual responsibility is the only way to establish family values. Communities, along with the families, must work to rebuild values. They must provide the needed discipline and encouragement and teach about hard work and pride in accomplishment. Strong families with limits and structure will one day lead to a rebirth of personal values. The battle to overcome the decline of such values must start with a strong supportive family. A nation made of families is only as strong as it's weakest link. This is why it is so crucial for everyone to pull his/her weight.

"Some people even teach their children how to use and abuse the welfare system, while others are simply corrupt criminals. For example, in 1968, Eulalia Rivera came to the United States from Puerto Rico. She raised her 17 children on welfare. In 1994, Rivera had 103 descendants on welfare. The welfare system also promotes criminal activity. For example, a New York woman known as Jane Doe received $450,000 from the welfare system. She used some 15 aliases and claimed 73 different children. Another welfare recipient lived in the Trump Tower apartment building and owned three luxury cars. This 63 year-old pro, Herbert Steed, ran scams and received thousands or millions. Abuse and corruption are wide spread and undermine the nation's ethics."
Heather Thoman, Concordia High School, Concordia, Kansas