In the 1962 Howard Lindsay-Russel Crouse-Irving Berlin Broadway musical Mr. President one of the songs in the production is titled The Secret Service which begins the Secret Service makes me nervous ...
If allegations are true that at least 11 Secret Service agents and several members of the U.S. military consorted with prostitutes prior to President Obamas arrival in Cartagena Colombia it should make a lot of people nervous. Rep. Darrell Issa R-Calif. chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has pledged that lawmakers will be looking over the shoulder of the inspector general as the Department of Homeland Security office investigates the allegations. The accused have been placed on administrative leave and their security clearances have been revoked.
Self-discipline is more effective than imposed discipline. When a child is disciplined for bad behavior he can be punished but punishment doesnt always change his attitude. One who disciplines himself however is better able to control his actions and foresee what damage bad behavior would cause to his reputation and family. With such foresight -- and with hindsight to see how bad decisions have harmed others -- he can avoid a personal and professional train wreck.
Was there no one among the Secret Service agents and military service members in Cartagena wise enough to say Dont do this? What about the honor and noble history of the Secret Service created in 1865 to stop the spread of counterfeit currency? What about the reputation of the nation they represent? Has honor gone the way of fidelity and what we once called moral principles before morals became self-defining?
If any of these men are married shouldnt their wives have an expectation that their husbands will live up to their marriage vows? What if there are children? If these allegations are true divorces will surely follow as will the fallout of divorce which will be brought down on the heads of kids damaging their lives. Is a one-night stand with a prostitute worth such destruction?
It doesnt take Tom Clancy to develop a plot of political intrigue that could have taken place in Cartagena. In 2007 an investigation by Telemundo and NBC News found that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia has taken root in South America fostering a well-financed force of Islamist radicals boiling with hatred for the United States and ready to die to prove it. Suppose one of them masqueraded as a prostitute and lured a Secret Service agent or a high-ranking member of the U.S. military into bed. She then threatens the American with exposure unless he reveals the movements of President Obama when he arrives at the Summit of the Americas. Its not that far-fetched -- several reports have indicated that the Secret Service agents had hard copies of the presidents itinerary in their hotel rooms.
Boys will be boys but men should be men; real men not Mad Men or the promiscuous men lauded in mens magazines who are always on the prowl for new conquests. Im speaking about men of honor and integrity who are the same in the dark as they are in the light.
We dont catch virtue as one might catch a cold. It must be taught even imposed by discipline. In our anything goes culture where claims that one form of behavior is superior to another can get you branded a (insert name of offended group)-ist fewer are willing to risk criticism by standing for something. Instead they fall for anything -- even for cheap prostitutes on taxpayer-funded trips.
Examiner Columnist Cal Thomas is nationally syndicated by Tribune Media.
In the 1962 Howard Lindsay-Russel Crouse-Irving Berlin Broadway musical Mr. President one of the songs in the production is titled The Secret Service which begins the Secret Service makes me nervous ...
If allegations are true that at least 11 Secret Service agents and several members of the U.S. military consorted with prostitutes prior to President Obamas arrival in Cartagena Colombia it should make a lot of people nervous. Rep. Darrell Issa R-Calif. chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has pledged that lawmakers will be looking over the shoulder of the inspector general as the Department of Homeland Security office investigates the allegations. The accused have been placed on administrative leave and their security clearances have been revoked.
Self-discipline is more effective than imposed discipline. When a child is disciplined for bad behavior he can be punished but punishment doesnt always change his attitude. One who disciplines himself however is better able to control his actions and foresee what damage bad behavior would cause to his reputation and family. With such foresight -- and with hindsight to see how bad decisions have harmed others -- he can avoid a personal and professional train wreck.
Was there no one among the Secret Service agents and military service members in Cartagena wise enough to say Dont do this? What about the honor and noble history of the Secret Service created in 1865 to stop the spread of counterfeit currency? What about the reputation of the nation they represent? Has honor gone the way of fidelity and what we once called moral principles before morals became self-defining?
If any of these men are married shouldnt their wives have an expectation that their husbands will live up to their marriage vows? What if there are children? If these allegations are true divorces will surely follow as will the fallout of divorce which will be brought down on the heads of kids damaging their lives. Is a one-night stand with a prostitute worth such destruction?
It doesnt take Tom Clancy to develop a plot of political intrigue that could have taken place in Cartagena. In 2007 an investigation by Telemundo and NBC News found that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia has taken root in South America fostering a well-financed force of Islamist radicals boiling with hatred for the United States and ready to die to prove it. Suppose one of them masqueraded as a prostitute and lured a Secret Service agent or a high-ranking member of the U.S. military into bed. She then threatens the American with exposure unless he reveals the movements of President Obama when he arrives at the Summit of the Americas. Its not that far-fetched -- several reports have indicated that the Secret Service agents had hard copies of the presidents itinerary in their hotel rooms.
Boys will be boys but men should be men; real men not Mad Men or the promiscuous men lauded in mens magazines who are always on the prowl for new conquests. Im speaking about men of honor and integrity who are the same in the dark as they are in the light.
We dont catch virtue as one might catch a cold. It must be taught even imposed by discipline. In our anything goes culture where claims that one form of behavior is superior to another can get you branded a (insert name of offended group)-ist fewer are willing to risk criticism by standing for something. Instead they fall for anything -- even for cheap prostitutes on taxpayer-funded trips.
Examiner Columnist Cal Thomas is nationally syndicated by Tribune Media.
