BUREAUCRATIC CORRUPTION

2 June 2009

Jerry Dusenberry

OSP

Dear Jerry,

                                         Re: Lawbreakers - Your May 28 documents

You certainly are utmost energetically persistent and astute in your analysis of the ODOC mismanagement problems. What a hard sell, but, of course, not impossible IF one could get cooperation from Legislators.

Perhaps it can be addressed in three parts: Identifying the Lawbreakers

                                                                Society’s responsibility

                                                                Individual responsibility

Let’s accept that you have identified ODOC Lawbreakers and the Mismanagement of taxpayer funds. What do our Representative’s / Society (government bureaucratic waste and corruption are pervasive) do about it?

                                                              Prosecute, Convict, Punish

PROSECUTE – We are a Society governed by Law. We must hold fair hearings. People must be deemed Innocent until proven Guilty.

CONVICT - If found guilty, then we must convict.

PUNISH – Society must protect itself from further harm so it is necessary to put these people where they can no longer do harm. Our present laws presumably address this problem.

But should such punishment be permitted as demeaning censure, odious character assassination, destroying self-confidence? Such treatment can be very hard to root out as it can be very subtle. However, learning to deal with it can be part of character building and rehabilitative but we could and must do more. Employment interviews need to consider the individual’s attitude toward others.

Another aspect of punishment which society needs to examine are harsh laws such as Mandatory Sentencing. Vindictiveness, revenge or ulterior motives such as building a cheap work force or expanding an industrial complex must have no part of Society’s treatment of the lawbreakers even though victims might demand it. .

AN INDIVIDUAL’S RESPONSIBILITY: Here’s what I’ve learned for what it’s worth, from years of similar experience, and apparent failure to get the needed cooperation. Perhaps it will seem giving up the good fight. But I don’t think so. At least I no longer wish to measure success or failure in my life.

First of all I decided to determine what is success. I’ve concluded that it is personal. Why am I doing this work? For the good of everyone, I righteously told myself. Okay. But am I qualified to determine what is "good" for everyone? I decided not only am I not but I do not want to be that involved in anyone else’s karma.

I believe the purpose everyone of us incarnates for is to learn through our use of free will and intellect and our decisions to become a finer, better, more noble human being.

Is it really as simple as that?

Not really/ From that acknowledgement that is the rule to live by how does one proceed? Simply by following the rule each and every day.

It’s natural to protest (one’s ego demanding it actually) and say be sensible. Establish a goal; make a plan; then go to work. Accept stupid set backs, opposition. Renew your determination and make adjustments as necessary. It probably takes years of running, running like the little squirrel in a cage never seeing the door out. Probably lifetimes.

I asked myself who did I admire and accept as a successful person? I analyzed and studied carefully one man’s phenomenal success story Before he was 50 years old he built from nothing a large corporation with worldwide sales in the billions, providing thousands of jobs, practiced enlightened personnel management, a hallmark of his success as he had the cooperation of thousands of people. And, of course, he became a multi-millionaire and was able to enjoy all the things money could buy. Suddenly, out of the blue, he lost his life at age 53.

Worse was to come. All his carefully laid plans to responsibly protect investors, employees and others one after another failed. His 3 Trustees so carefully chosen, so trusted succumbed to temptation. Bankers, lawyers wrested control of the company; drained away all the cash surplus by unloading worthless bank investments, put the company deep in debt. It’s stock traded on the NY Exchange went from one of the top, most reliable investments to less than IPO price years before. From the state’s largest employer it dwindled down to less than a 1,000. And then was taken over by a well managed company.

And his personal estate, investments again in people, simply vanished one after another.

Everything he’d accomplished, it seemed, was destroyed.

In my devastating disappointment I wondered: Was it after all a wasted life?

It took awhile for me to see and realize No, absolutely not. Someone once said the best laid plans of mice and men go awry. This man’s life was a perfect example. So what was the

answer? Was it a wasted life? Again it took me awhile to realize we must be far more than just a few $ worth of chemicals. Otherwise there would be no purpose to life. And we all know and recognize goodness when we see it. We like to be around those people. So some people are more evolved than others. How did that happen? We must not be just born, and just disappear. But all you take with you are deeds, not worldly wealth. That leads to accepting we are an immortal soul, neither created nor destroyed. From that one asks: What did his soul learn? Surely he perfected his working with other people skills.

As disappointing as bitter, worldly failure was the answer then became quite clear. worldly power, money is not a way to measure worthwhile success.

But, I protested to myself, that was never my goal. Nor I doubted was it his goal. He wanted, and I thought I wanted, success to be outwardly visible and recognized as helping others, doing good.

This brought me right back to my determining what is "good" and getting myself entangled in the problems of others Not good. Others need to have the freedom to solve their own problems through their own decision making each and every day. Rubbing their noses in their problems just creates resistance.

One result of retreating to just being responsible day by day to solving that day’s problems which come my way to the best of my ability brings peace of mind (that peace which surpasses all understanding?) and a peaceful life.

I’ve decided something Swedish philosopher, Emanuel Swedenborg said way back in the 17^th century is true: "Mankind occupies the vast middle ground between the Forces of Darkness and the Forces of Light each vying for man’s souls."

It sometimes seems the Forces of Darkness are winning. But over eons they never do. Something always happens, they often destroy themselves and mankind "spirals upward" as Teilhard deChardin concluded. We’ve come down out of the trees and up out of the caves.

Something to think about.

Helen Solem