On integrity
Integrity: the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.
Synonyms are honesty, honor, ethics, virtue, decency, fairness and truthfulness. To speak of one with these traits you might say, “I never doubted his integrity.” C.S. Lewis said, “Doing what’s right, even when no one is watching”.
I am saying this because of the actions of some of our elected officials. This has a trickle down effect. Look nationally in D.C. with the actions of many there, down to our local elected politicians. I’m not accusing anyone just trying to understand what has been publicized lately in the local news media.
And the results of these actions were seen in a local restaurant. I witnessed a couple that had checked out, paid the tab and found that a dessert was not charged for. They went to pay for the missed item and someone said, “If they were a councilman you wouldn’t have to pay.” We laugh, but has a precedent been set? Do we take advantage of someone’s mistake — if that is what happened. Or do we show integrity?
Columbus has had enough bad press of late, we sure don’t need to have our elected officials’ integrity questioned. The police department has overcome a lot on negative reports lately and Chief Shelton has turned things around. A firm has been hired to help bring retail into the “Friendly City” to stimulate retail and the city and county are maybe at last working together for the common good, now this. I’ve lived in Columbus all my life with the exception of my military service. My home is here, my friends live here, and I like my life here just fine and do not plan to go anywhere. But I would like to see a little “integrity” in our elected officials, so I can be proud to say, “I’m from Columbus.”
God Bless America and Columbus.
Lee Roy Lollar, Jr.
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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