Who created today's values? We did, of course

The erosion of values, including our national sense of morality, is all too apparent in our nation's politics. But don't make every American out to be morally depraved. I would suggest that many of us still regard some worthwhile "value system" to be the ideal toward which we strive.

OK. Hold on. Don't turn the page just yet. I'm not going to preach a sermon. Nor am I going to try to marginalize the words and actions of those who seek the highest office in the land. The candidates have pretty much taken care of that all by themselves.

However, I do want to recall that most human beings, as fragile as their sense of right and wrong may be right now, want to be counted among those who believe in justice, liberty, freedom and some kind of personal code of conduct.

When I was growing up in the Ozarks over yonder, there was a clear notion of right and wrong. There weren't many gray areas. And everyone -- yes, everyone -- knew who the sinners were. And everyone -- yes, everyone -- wanted to be considered at least righteous if not completely justified in their daily lives.

We knew who was cheating on their wives and husbands. We knew who was on the shady side of the law. We knew who misrepresented their finances on their tax returns. We knew who was poaching wildlife out of season. We knew who cheated on tests in our schools. We knew who dumped trash along some of the old logging roads in the woods. We knew who fished in the spillway below the lake, while keeping an eye out for the game warden. We knew which load of logs came from forests owned by someone other than the logger.

We knew all of this, and so much more, because it was pretty near impossible to keep secrets in those hills and hollows. Goodness knows we listened to conversations on the party-line telephones. How else would we have found out about something called "syphilis" at such a tender age?

We knew all of this, and we took great satisfaction in knowing all those "sins" were committed by someone else. Not us.

And, in those days, if we had known that any candidate for public office had committed any of those offenses, he would have been laughed off the ballot. Righteous people, you see, tend to want righteous politicians. At least they did more than half a century ago.

I remember the first time I met a crook who held political office. I was a young reporter for the Kansas City Star covering one of the suburban -- and mostly rural -- counties. The probate judge -- Missouri still had probate judges at the time -- was skimming enormous sums of money from the estates over which he had jurisdiction. He was one of the most popular politicians in the county, well-liked by just about everyone in both political parties. But he was a crook nonetheless.

When the judge was finally charged for his crimes, Mr. Popularity became the scourge of county politics. Nobody wanted to be seen with him, especially after he was convicted.

Look at how much has changed.

Nowadays, marital affairs are nobody's business. Voters give virtually no heed to moral dalliances among politicians.

It seems to me that the behavior of those who seek our trust in today's politics mirror our own standards. Politicians are a reflection of us. We are the standard bearers of our politicians.

So when I hear, in casual conversation over coffee, what a terrible choice we have in this year's presidential race, I have a sense that the two leading candidates are merely a reflection of us.

Look at today's standards in popular media. Look at the story lines and dialog of today's primetime television offerings. Look at the brazen messages of advertising. I never thought I'd live long enough to see erectile dysfunction treated as casually as laundry detergent.

Yes, we still give a nod to a moral code that makes us feel slimy after being too close to some of our politicians. If we really believe right and wrong can be distinguished, then surely we can change what appears to be a slippery and harmful course.

But if we are honest, we will remember that either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States because of us. As much as some of us would like to, we can't put the blame on anyone else.

Joe Sullivan is the retired editor of the Southeast Missourian.