A Question of Ethics
On June 19th 1987, I stepped up on an outdoor stage at Delaware Valley Regional High School in New Jersey and presented the following speech titled "A Question of Ethics" to my graduating class. As I re-typed it today, I found myself wincing a bit at my intensity and zeal.
Yet I can’t help but think, all these years later, that the names have changed but the headlines remain.
The difference between then and now is that I know that life isn’t lived in the headlines. It’s lived in our homes, in our communities and schools, on our athletic fields and performance stages. It’s lived in our houses of worship, in our outreach organizations and now, online – in our social media outlets. Whether we're starting high school, graduating from high school, graduating from college, or at a completely different phase of life, we should remember that we have power and influence. Over our own destinies as well as those whose lives we touch. Speak up, reach out, be a person of integrity in your life and present yourself that way online. Don't write or post things that will make your college admission counselor or future boss or future in-laws question you.
So I’ll ask again, what are you doing in your life to be an example of ethical living to others?
New York Times headline: “Presidential hopeful Gary Hart drops out of campaign in wake of scandal.”
Wall Street Journal headline: “Reagan send out mixed messages over Iran conflict, public opinion polls show his ratings plummeting.”
Washington Post headline: “Bakker’s affair opens door to a closet full of scandal at PTL.”
Why do I come before you with headlines such as these? What significance do these scandals have for those of us stepping out into the world? Time magazine felt that these and other such occurrences were significant enough to do their entire May 25th issue on them. I see them as important not only to us graduates, but to the entire country, and I therefore have chosen to make them the focus of my remarks this evening.
It seems that there is virtually no area of society that has remained unscathed in the recent wave of scandal. From the White House to churches, medical centers, military ranks, and stock brokerages – of the institutions that make up the backbone of our country, none have remained untouched in the latest dusting with the proverbial white glove.
Yet these disturbances in our ethical structure seem remote and detached from our lives. They are distressing but seem unreal because these are not people or groups that we are personally acquainted with. We allow ourselves to pretend that these scandals happen only to people in the public eye, but in truth we are fooling ourselves.
Allow me to take a moment to ask some rhetorical questions:
Amy, if you were stopped by a policeman for speeding next week, how would you respond to his questions? Would you admit freely that you were traveling at 30 miles per hour above the posted limit? Or would you more than likely deny that you were speeding and even offer to swear on a Bible if one could be obtained?
Darren, in a few years you’ll be filing income tax forms, if you do not already do so. Will you be absolutely accurate about every source of income you receive and every expenditure you make? Or rather, will you try to hold on to as much of your hard-earned money as possible by creating deductions which in reality you do not have?
Rob, if next year a friend came to you with a copy of one of your final exams, would you tell him that you could not possibly look at it? Or would you pore over it every day until the actual exam, knowing that this could change your grade from a C to an A?
These are purely hypothetical situations, but they aren’t unrealistic ones. Any of us could encounter incidents of this nature in our daily routine. They’re present at work, at home, in school, even in our leisure activities. We have been presented with such opportunities before and we’ll be presented with them again many times in the future.
I used these examples for a reason; to demonstrate how relaxed our attitude about ethics in daily living has become. It has almost become acceptable to lie to officers of the law, to steal from the government, and to cheat on tests. We no longer view these as terrible offenses, just misdemeanors. That’s where our problem lies – not in the acts themselves - for there will always be lying, stealing and cheating, but rather in our attitude about such behavior.
The moral fiber of our country is being threatened by society’s condoning of these types of non-ethical practices. Our carefully built structure of moral ideals and laws is weakening, and it will crumble from within if care is not taken to bolster it.
You are probably wondering why I’m bothering with these weighty issues on what is supposed to be a night of celebration. We are here because we have worked hard for four years, and we deserve to feel both proud and relieved. I could have come up to this podium, looked out over your heads, and said, “Hey guys, we’re outta here!” Instead I chose to tackle a problem which I feel is not only just as important as major political and social issues, but something which we have the power to control.
As the next generation to assume power we have a responsibility. A responsibility to continue the values which were instilled in us by our parents and educators. If we care at all about the state of our nation, we much care about our role in this United States. Today, as older brothers and sisters, and tomorrow as parents, we must be an example not only in word but in deed, of the kind of ethical living that we want in our world.
Our younger brothers and sisters and someday our children will look to us for guidance because there are virtually no role models for them among public figures. Scandal is gripping our nation by its throat and squeezing from it all of the breath of morality. Do we want our children to grow up believing that all religion is a sham; that the people who guard our financial markets are corrupt; and that the leader of our nation, the individual who is supposed to represent all of the values of our country, the President of this United States is a liar? If they are aware of these things and believe them to be examples of the conduct of society, who will they become? And what will they teach their children about ethics? Maybe the question should be – will they teach their children about ethics?
We are officially moving out into the world. We will attend college, begin jobs, and start families. As members of society, as people, we must remember where our duty lies. If we are an example of ethical living to others, perhaps others will find the courage to lead ethical lives as well. Then and only then can the question of ethics in modern society be answered.
