As one who has been in the public service for a long, long time – although not 308 years, since my presence here today is due to a quirk of time travel, not true chronological age – I am not ignorant of the games that political leaders play when it suits their selfish interests.
The latest news about Governor Chris Christie is somewhat shocking and dismaying, but it is not altogether surprising.
In fact, I myself have been the victim of some of the kinds of duplicitous maneuvers that government officials engage in, such as when the Governor of Pennsylvania encouraged me to travel to England in the quest of acquiring materials and other resources to set up a printing business back in the colonies (to make a long story short, my so-called benefactor’s help was non-existent, and my trip to England was for naught).
The Christie Crisis.
But this report of Governor Christie’s troubles would be truly laughable, if it weren’t such a serious abuse of the good citizens of Fort Lee, New Jersey. Apparently, some of the governor’s aides (all Republicans!) conspired to punish the Democratic leadership of Fort Lee by intentionally closing down lanes and creating traffic jams around the George Washington Bridge.
I knew George Washington personally, and believe me, he would have been mortified to learn of this incident.
I firmly believe that the noblest question in the world is, “What good may I do in it?” On the contrary, it seems that these persons from the governor’s staff follow an entirely different set of rules – “What underhanded mischief may I do in it?” is their motto.
Taking away these individuals’ government positions, their power, and their perks as a reprimand is like a slap on the wrist, when one considers all the inconvenience and even suffering that their scheme caused. What about emergency vehicles that were unnecessarily delayed in responding to a fire, a heart attack, or some other crisis, because of the traffic jams? This simple chastisement is not nearly enough to awaken these aides to the serious error of their ways.
In the 1700s, we dealt with such scoundrels in a very different fashion. Some of the physical punishment devised for traitors, thieves, and other villains made it certain that they would not repeat their mistakes again in the very near future.
Anyone for a revolution?
The kind of arrogant behavior these aides were allegedly engaged in is the exact equivalent of what England’s royal government attempted to inflict on the American colonies leading up to 1776. And we all know what happened as the result of that foolish miscalculation.
Your humble servant,
B.Franklin
The latest news about Governor Chris Christie is somewhat shocking and dismaying, but it is not altogether surprising.
In fact, I myself have been the victim of some of the kinds of duplicitous maneuvers that government officials engage in, such as when the Governor of Pennsylvania encouraged me to travel to England in the quest of acquiring materials and other resources to set up a printing business back in the colonies (to make a long story short, my so-called benefactor’s help was non-existent, and my trip to England was for naught).
The Christie Crisis.
But this report of Governor Christie’s troubles would be truly laughable, if it weren’t such a serious abuse of the good citizens of Fort Lee, New Jersey. Apparently, some of the governor’s aides (all Republicans!) conspired to punish the Democratic leadership of Fort Lee by intentionally closing down lanes and creating traffic jams around the George Washington Bridge.
I knew George Washington personally, and believe me, he would have been mortified to learn of this incident.
I firmly believe that the noblest question in the world is, “What good may I do in it?” On the contrary, it seems that these persons from the governor’s staff follow an entirely different set of rules – “What underhanded mischief may I do in it?” is their motto.
Taking away these individuals’ government positions, their power, and their perks as a reprimand is like a slap on the wrist, when one considers all the inconvenience and even suffering that their scheme caused. What about emergency vehicles that were unnecessarily delayed in responding to a fire, a heart attack, or some other crisis, because of the traffic jams? This simple chastisement is not nearly enough to awaken these aides to the serious error of their ways.
In the 1700s, we dealt with such scoundrels in a very different fashion. Some of the physical punishment devised for traitors, thieves, and other villains made it certain that they would not repeat their mistakes again in the very near future.
Anyone for a revolution?
The kind of arrogant behavior these aides were allegedly engaged in is the exact equivalent of what England’s royal government attempted to inflict on the American colonies leading up to 1776. And we all know what happened as the result of that foolish miscalculation.
Your humble servant,
B.Franklin