Another Look at Hypocrisy

Hypocrisy seems to be a subject that I come back to quite often.  I guess it is a sore subject for me.  It kind of makes sense if you know me.  I have little patience for you and your beliefs and attitudes if you do not walk the walk.  If you preach a way of life you had better live it.

I know we all risk be hypocritical.  The most often thing any of us do is dismiss our bad actions or the bad actions of those people who we support or the people who represent the causes we support.  I know that I have had to deal with this myself pretty much all of my life.  I willingly confess that I have found it hard at times to condemn the actions of the IRA during the 1970’s and 1980’s in particular because I so strongly sympathized with the goal of an United Ireland.  Couple this with the human rights atrocities perpetuated by the Protestant factions and the British government entities and it was a slippery slope to allow oneself to justify the unjustifiable.  After all, the IRA was in league with Muslim terrorists for God’s sake.

I do not mean to digress on this, except to say that I can understand at little bit.  It is an easy, slippery, slope to go on.  But it is not right and it is not where anyone should place themselves.

I try to be even-handed as well.  For instance, I have always said that, while I found it reprehensible, I did not think that Bill Clinton’s messing around with women was grounds for impeachment.  I still do not.  Conversely, I despise the ground that Trump walks on, looks at, and thinks about.  At the same time, I would object to impeaching the POS for his messing around with women as well – unless there were proof of sexual assault.  In his case, there are many, many other issues that warrant his impeachment without going there.

So why this article?

Walk the walk.

If you preach a set of values – If you espouse a set of values – If you tell the world you practice a set of values: Live them.  Otherwise you are no better than a member of the anti-saloon league guzzling a bottle of bourbon.

• If you believe in family values – do not support someone who has a history of infidelity.
• If you believe in equality – do not support bigots, racists, and misogynists.
• If you believe in God – support someone who goes to the place of worship at least once in a while (and that does not include the golf course).
• If you believe in helping your fellow man – support someone who want to feed the poor and heal the sick – regardless of the ability to pay.  (BTW: sound like someone you know?)

In other words: vote your word.

I know that this is not going to happen.  First, my target audience will not read this and second, if the did, they would not get the message.