Standards: Our Word Is Our Bond
It has taken eight (!) years, and news from the world of corporate media yesterday was that the CBS Corporation would not be required to pay the fine associated with the lawsuit stemming from the Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction,” which occurred during the Super Bowl in 2004. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/29/janet-jackson-wardrobe-mal…
Okay, so that took some time and a bit of legal maneuvering, you say. There are cases that take longer to reconcile, observe, and come back into balance. I refer you now to a blog by my friend, Tracy, about another article written by former President Jimmy Carter, on his concerns about the way the Obama administration and the United States is handling its role in the world: http://stillwandering.multiply.com/journal/item/2419/Jimmy-Carter-A…
As if THOSE two examples are not enough, in the recent weeks the news has been full of the investigation into current Attorney General Eric Holder. He is accused of wrongdoing/”contempt of court” with regard to an investigation of how firearms turned up in the hands of Mexican drug cartels. There will be no prosecution associated with that. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/20/eric-holder-fast-furious-live
When we give our word, as in a promise, we agree to hold ourselves to a certain standard. The FCC, in its official capacity, is supposed to be in charge of enforcing broadcast standards. The United States, in its capacity of being seen as a world superpower, sets the example of what a superpower is and does. Finally, it is the job of the Attorney General to investigate and prosecute wrongdoing–while he himself is being held to the standards of his own official capacity.
Are we all just a bunch of fluff and bother? Do our egos rule what goes on? Are we wishy-washy, or has our general mind been infiltrated with some sort of “Attention Deficit Disorder”? We definitely seem to be floundering, adrift, just bopping along on the water without a whole lot of direction, standards, or accountability.
We are only as good as our word…or the words that we keep. Even a buoy has an anchor to hold it in place while it is doing its job. Our standards, or the bar we choose to set for what we consider acceptable, CAN be adjusted, but isn’t there supposed to be some consensus? We cannot keep switching the goal post while we are trying to kick the football. The game just does not work really well that way.
Life happens; we all do change, so it makes sense that our standards will evolve over time. Maybe it would not make much of an impact if things were going well. You know how it feels to ride the crest of a wave. If everything was top-notch, no problems, we could probably care less about the negative side. When we look around and see prosperity and everything in order and being taken care of, we have no complaints. We make no judgments of what can improve if we see little wrong with the way things are.
However, if we know life is never perfect, there is always room to change and grow, and our standards are only as good as the goals we set (and enforce), then we really do need to be critical. We have to recognize when things are “not” working or that for as many ‘good’ things as there are, we could still do better. It is the same with education…we never stop learning–so why would we EVER get to a point where our standards are not maintained?
Do we, all of us, just look the other way? Do we let the FCC or other agencies that are charged with maintaining standards, just twiddle their thumbs? Do we let the people in charge of such things as our nation’s actions run amok, or do we hold each other accountable? I know a few people who have been called by Children and Youth Services over how they manage their households. If we are holding individuals to a standard, why not the larger group(s)? Obviously, being “old enough” or experienced adults is not enough of a requirement to measure standards. We cannot keep changing the rules of the game, while we are playing it. If we do, then we had better be ready to catch each other as we stumble and fall.
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