Integrity

1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility
2 : an unimpaired condition : soundness
3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness
synonyms see honesty

Thomas J. Stanley wrote two books, 'The Millionaire Next Door' and "The Millionaire Mind'. In 'The Millionaire Mind' he listed 38 things that all people with a net worth of at least 10 million dollars had in common. Of those 38 things one was shared by all of the Millionaires, Integrity.

Unfortunately integrity has been lost for the most part in our children. Although I am not sure that until my mid 20's, I had much personal integrity. Since then I have developed my own code. it is based on two sayings or parables that I have come across. One of which has been my tag line for years.

You are, what you do, when it counts

and

You are what you do when you think nobody is watching


I think that the only way we can teach integrity to our children is by example. My generation at least had television shows which featured characters with integrity, Maverick, Gunsmoke, Bonanza etc. The current television landscape is bereft of characters with integrity, in fact most current shows feature sexual jokes or sexual situations. Adultery sells, there is no integrity present when the story line involves Adultery. My generation also had Movie stars that had Integrity and they would not play characters that did not have it, even if they played "bad guys", those characters had a code they lived by. I have attempted to introduce these actors and their movies to my children, especially John Wayne. It is amazing to me that many of my children's friends have no clue as to whom he is.

As for the recent election, the only one of the four candidates that displayed integrity was Sarah Palin. That is why she was so vilified by the Main Stream Media, and why she was so popular among the people. She had a living example of her personal integrity in the form of her son Trig. She is against abortion and she made the tough choice to keep her child when she was most likely a little afraid. A child is a life changing event, a second, third, fourth, or even fifth child is a little less so. A downs child is a major life adjustment, the parents will most likely be responsible for this child for the remainder of their lives.

John McCain had had integrity at one time, but I believe he has sacrificed it in the pursuit of power. Recently when Sarah Palin was being attacked AFTER the election, he would not take a strong stand when it was rumored that individuals in his campaign were "leaking" derisive information about Gov. Palin. Fortunately these statements were not really released form the McCain Campaign they were from a leftist blog and only intended as satire. That still does not excuse Sen. McCain's lukewarm defense of his former running mate. A man of Integrity would have a strongly worded statement denouncing anyone in his campaign that would impugned the intelligence of his running mate. He basically said that she was a smart lady and he appreciated her being his running mate..Wow, what support.

Integrity-- You are what you do when it counts....

How can we expect our children to understand the concept when there are so few public figures, and many of us, do not display it?

Recently our captains of industry have been begging for money from Congress instead of doing the hard work of reorganizing and cutting the waste from their companies. These CEOs especially the automakers, are doing everything they can to avoid Chapter 11 which would force them to reorganize. Congress doesn't want them to reorganize because this would break the UAW and the Democrat Majority can't let this happen, they receive too much money from the Unions. They would rather give them our money, and put our country into debt.

Integrity-- You are what you do when it counts....

There are currently people trying to figure out ways of walking away from their debts, they borrowed this money, the lenders lent it in good faith. No one twisted their arms in order to force them to borrow money, now they want default....

Where is Integrity? Why have we lost it?