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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.
How does one do this?
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 17th 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
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