Honor, Integrity and Commodification

"Integrity" is the foundation of our political process. The word, whether written or spoken, evokes archetypal images from our collective history and acts as a short hand to gage the value of a person, idea, or concept. A chopped down cherry tree, a tannin enriched Boston Harbor, a bandaged Yankee drummer boy marching along a lonely road; these images communicate the strength and vastness of our character as a nation and as a people. A literal translation of these values is often unnecessary, and, as I recently discovered, can be quite dangerous.

My youngest son has a particularly challenging, anti-authoritarian approach to life. The fact that something is "against the rules", or "wrong" has never held much weight for him, usually inspiring curiosity instead. When he was small, the fact that he looked like a Sistine cherub allowed him to get away with murder. As he ages, his defiance has begun to eclipse those features, rendering them far less effective. Increasingly he has to take responsibility for his actions. A practice to which, outside of his relationship with me, he is wholly unaccustomed.

Last week, after yet another disciplinary action, we sat down to talk about integrity. I tried several approaches: the importance of being a good perso"Integrity" is the foundation of our political process. The word, whether written or spoken, evokes archetypal images from our collective history and acts as a short hand to gage the value of a person, idea, or concept. A chopped down cherry tree, a tannin enriched Boston Harbor, a bandaged Yankee drummer boy marching along a lonely road; these images communicate the strength and vastness of our character as a nation and as a people. A literal translation of these values is often unnecessary, and, as I recently discovered, can be quite dangerous.