People, Politicians, Political Establishment’s Public Disrespectfulness
The show must go. Standards must be raised and adhered to by all.
The pageantry of congressional hearings and the back and forth of
bashing tweets by public officials must cease.
|
Q
|
ualifying Standards for people who present themselves as candidates for
elective office, whom others present as nominees for appointive office, or as special
advisers or aides — besides possessing the pertinent experience and education
or training — they should have no record of either conviction of criminal acts
including corruption and other civil infractions (pardoned or not); nor at
presentation should they be under a cloud or the subject of any kind of
investigation, criminal or civil.
If ordinary people who have served time in prison are barred from citizenry
duties and rights such as voting, how is it possible that a convicted felon can
be nominated and/or considered for public office, elective or appointive?
Elliot Abrams should never have been nominated by a U.S. President nor
considered by the Congress of the United States. The lack or weakening of standards
lowers the stature, caliber, integrity, trustworthiness of Government.
|
B
|
oth bodies of the U.S. House and Senate have instituted various “ethics”
processes and committees but they seem lacking in clarity, naturally bent
toward self protection (and balance of party membership on the committee), and
without sufficient substantive procedures, scrutiny and sincerity for covering
basic behavior or critical ethical or criminal matters. With the present and powerfully supported political campaign
finance system, a portrait and personification of corruption, it is hard to believe that either the Executive
or the Legislative of Government branch is capable of self-policing or self-discipline.
- In the Executive Branch is the “United States of Government Ethics (OGE) charged with overseeing “the executive branch ethics program” and working “with a community of ethics practitioners made up of nearly 5,000 ethics officials in more than 130 agencies to implement that program.” This massive muddle, however, seems to fall short of scrutinizing appointees, fully investigating them prior to Executive appointment or presentation to Congress for consideration.
- In the U.S. House of Representatives is the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), “an independent, non-partisan entity charged with reviewing allegations of misconduct against Members, officers, and staff of the U.S. House of Representatives and, when appropriate, referring matters to the House Committee on Ethics.”
- In the U.S. Senate a “Select Committee on Ethics” “charged (vaguely) with dealing with matters related to senatorial ethics.”
So we continue thoughts of derailing
SABOTAGE …
|
T
|
he circus or show that calls itself the congressional hearing process
must go.
Standards of civility, respectfulness, decorum (and no more pay-to-play
or payoffs of “playmates,” subjects for another article) on all sides must be laid
down, cemented and distributed to all incoming and sustaining members of and
aides to Congress; and placed in the Congressional Record for public reading.
An independent observer must be charged with monitoring, checking and
correcting adherence to these standards. And without exception or exemption — consequences
(censure, published report, expulsion, etc.) must follow for those who fail to
adhere to strict standards.
|
R
|
espect earns Respect.
Processes, People, Professionalism,
Position deserve Respect
To correct the rollercoaster of sabotage in this area,
- Congressional hearings should be held off-camera.
- All video and audio equipment barred, allowing only still photography, and official stenography for producing a transcript of all hearings for same-day distribution to the press and the public at large via the Congressional Record and/or other congressional online sources.
- Visitors (members of the press, groups, general public where space is sufficient to accommodate them) at these off-camera congressional hearings may take notes but they too must adhere to strict standards of civility, respectfulness, and decorum.
- No outbursts interrupting proceedings or attacking individuals.
- No obscenities in word or gestures.
- No insults.
Such behaviors do not rise to the level of serious and substantive expressions
protected under the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of free speech, free press, and
free assembly. They are acts of rudeness, disrespect that should not be
tolerated.
Overt expressions of opposition, protests of persons, places, things,
acts, or ideas can be made in a variety of venues besides the workplace of
congressional hearings.
Misusing or foolishly using statutory rights, fundamental rights under
law, ultimately diminishes their truth, their substantive value — rendering them
out of reach for ordinary people who rely not on high-end lawyers but on secure
constitutional guarantees of by and for the people of the United States.
|
R
|
espect earns Respect.
Processes, People, Professionalism,
Position deserve Respect
Whether people are office holders, nominees or members of the general public
— respectfulness is (and should be) expected and expressed.
Behavior on all sides of the political establishment and protest has
caused distrust, dishonor and destructiveness. With proper standards set and
kept, we can amend and end these manifestations of SABOTAGE.
Notes
Wikipedia
In the case of the “Iran–Contra affair” (1985–1986) — “A secret sale of
arms to Iran, to secure the release of hostages and allow U.S. intelligence
agencies to fund the Nicaraguan Contras, in violation of the Boland Amendment”—
Elliott Abrams, then-Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs,
was convicted of withholding evidence and sentenced to “2 years’ probation.” He
later received a pardon by U.S. President George H. W. Bush. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_federal_politicians_convicted_of_crimes
https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/Mission%20and%20Responsibilities
https://oce.house.gov/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Congressional_Ethics
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/1/11/1619079/-Comparing-Presidential-Administrations-by-Arrests-and-Convictions-A-Warning-for-Trump-Appointees
https://oce.house.gov/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Select_Committee_on_Ethics
Insight Beyond Today’s News, CLB - © All Rights
Reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment