Dear Editor,
This topic of character pertaining to any politician is what defines who he or she is. While education is important, one’s character is more important. Abraham Lincoln, founder of the Conservative Republican party who abolished slavery in the United States of America, said, and I quote, “Reputation is the shadow. The character is a tree.”
The former prime minister of United Kingdom, a man who took a stand against the Germans in World War 2, said this and I quote, “The first duty of the university is to teach wisdom, not a trade; character, not technicalities. Our character determines how we respond to situations and circumstances in life. Character is what determines our success.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that “good” people will always experience more success than “bad” people. There are, however, some character traits that tend to lead to success and others that tend to produce failure. There is good and bad character. Bad character traits are greedy, disrespectful, selfish, ruthless, dishonest, and evil. Good character traits are honest, caring, helping and good values.
I assure you most politicians are dishonest. Let me explain, if a politician knows something in the system is wrong, but changing it is of no benefit to him or her, he or she does not care to change it. If something will benefit the politician, he or she will make a great effort to change it. They usually will not advocate for change that will benefit the people or because it is right. Most politicians usually care about their interest first over the country’s interest. That is why I can bravely say that most politicians have bad character.
A true leader loves his country first over self, because the love of country has to do with patriotism. In St. Maarten’s case, our politicians let us become a minority in our country and after all, refuse to recognize the people of St. Maarten Heritage in St. Maarten’s Constitution. The reason is, the people of St. Maarten Heritage are only a few votes and those votes cannot make you win an election. Our politicians have a real bad character; it’s all about their interest.
A politician can have 5 Ph.D. and master’s degrees, but if his or her character is bad and he or she has no love for the country, I will never vote for him or her, because the end result will not be in St. Maarten’s interest. I quote some sentences from wise, experienced and successful people. “In a president, the character is everything.
A president doesn't have to be brilliant. You can't buy courage and decency, you can't rent a strong, moral sense. A president must bring those things with him. If he does, they will give meaning and animation to the great practical requirement of the presidency: He must know why he's there and what he wants to do. He has to have thought it through. He needs to have, in that much-maligned word, but a good one nonetheless, a vision of the future he wishes to create. This is a function of thinking, of the mind, the brain.
But a vision is worth little if a president doesn't have the character--the courage and heart-- to see it through....” Martin Luther King said it very well and I quote “Judge a man not by the colour of his skin, but by the context of his character”. Do not look only at a politician’s education, but most importantly look at his or her character.
The conclusion is character defines the politician. The definition of character is the combination of mental characteristics and behaviour that distinguish a person and the moral strength and integrity.
Stay tuned as we continue on issues pertaining to political ideology.
The Patriot Miguel Arrindell
