It should not be taken for granted that someone who is desperately poor must have little or no moral character. Like so many (even me), if you or your loved ones have endured the ravages of raw poverty, why would you think that somehow you have remained “good,” while others with a similar or more difficult economic life experience must invariably be “bad”? 

The observable truth is that immorality is widely distributed throughout all economic strata; from superrich to miserably poor and everyone in between. Doctors who abuse patients, lawyers who illegally connive, bankers who rip off most everybody, policemen who willfully break the law, a great many who cheat on their taxes—are these individuals morally superior to a “poor” person who “steals a crust of bread”?

While all are dishonest, it is arguably worse when people in more impactful social positions take advantage of the public trust. 

In our remarkable times, there are even people running for high public office who make their celebrity from notorious claims to immorality. See if you can figure my drift from these snippets: “suckers and losers,” “not paying taxes makes me smart,” “grab them by the p***y,” “I like people who don’t get captured,” “fine people on both sides” etc. 

And then there are both a felony conviction and sexual abuse civil conviction, as well as the pending multiple state, federal, civil and criminal indictments. 

But let’s stop this familiar litany and consider how that record stacks up to other low-level “bad” people: for example, the drug dealers who of late the former president is proposing to rapidly try and execute. Drug dealers are a scourge on society, but we already have laws—including a particular one, the First Step Act, that this same former president (Trump) signed into law. That law eased the penalties for some drug offenders and outright freed others who had already been convicted. 

But that was 2018 and this is 2024 and apparently, he has gotta do what he has gotta do to get elected president. 

Morality is never a consideration when amorality and deception is the essence of the fundamental campaign plan. Reverse is just another gear.

John Pace
Honesdale, PA