"[E]ven in politics, there are some things more important than victory. Honesty, truth, and integrity are those things. They are not liberal or conservative issues, but human values.”
Our Quote of the Week reminds us that honesty, truth, and integrity are important in politics—and that they are not qualities unique to one party or another. They are human values that we must uphold and demand of our leaders and of each other.
It’s graduation season and a fitting time of year to review Sargent Shriver’s many words of wisdom to graduating classes. This week, we chose his Commencement Address at Proctor Academy from 1973. Shriver gave this address just as the Watergate investigation, which led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation, was intensifying. With his usual combination of optimism and pragmatism, Shriver encourages the graduating class to consider a career in politics and he reminds them of the potential of a life in public service.
“But I hope that you will not stand outside—that you will participate in some way in politics—not despite Watergate, but because of it—because you believe that politics need not be as bad as some politicians have tried to make it.”
Shriver is frank about the disillusionment that many feel towards political leaders. He also stresses: “This is not a partisan issue. Our disillusion is not Democratic or Republican; it reaches adherents of both parties and citizens on every side, and the determination to find the truth does not mark a political division.” He is both honest about the fact that there is much to be disillusioned about, and resolute in his belief that we have the ability as citizens and as human beings to live and work together in more positive, productive ways.
Sargent Shriver’s words describe not just what politics should be, but indeed, what they still can be. His words prompt all of us to work together to find the most suitable solutions to of our biggest challenges as a society. If we each take responsibility for setting the tone about the direction of our politics, if we commit to speaking with each other with respect, and if we approach problem-solving with the intention that the ideas with the best outcomes for our people will be implemented, our debates can lead to concrete change. In the process, we can also transform the tone of political discourse. This is not a small challenge, but it is one that we must all take on.
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