"Quit listening to what they're saying and watch what they're doing", was the advice given by Thomas J. Anderson, an old acquaintance and presidential candidate on the Independent American Party ticket in 1972. He, of course, was referring only to people occupying or seeking political office. The advice is sound from my viewpoint and the only change would be to expand the statement to cover all positions of leadership from preachers to president or to all those who's livelihood depends largely on what they say.

It's always a faith shaker when one who holds high public office in America violates the public trust given him. It is truly our own fault though, inasmuch as we do not look beyond their white pearly teeth and the feigned sincerity coming out of gainsaying mouths of ordinary men oftimes groveling for positions of extra ordinary authority or power.

A real good friend shocked me a few days after the general election in November, 1974, when he told me he had not voted for my candidacy for the U .S. Congress. "Why not?" I asked.

"N.", said he, "I couldn't stand the thought of you going to Washington, D.C., and becoming one of those corrupt politicians."

My response to him then is the same as with this writing, "Forty-five year old men do not go to Washington, D.C., change their lives and become corrupt. They were corrupt before they went there and you along with most other Americans did not bother to screen out those facts." Today's news media bears out this wisdom.

Have a good week!