When it comes to politics many of us miss the forest of the truth in the trees of our own raging cynicism.
We’re so convinced that all politics are evil that we inevitably view all political events through the shattered glass of that prism.
So it goes as I answer the phone this week, to talk to the good people of NW PA about the “not guilty” verdicts in the case against former Erie Mayor Rick Filippi.
“I knew he’d get away with it,” one boasts.
“Politicians get away with murder,” confides another.
It’s important for people to have confirmation of their beliefs and those who believe that politicians do indeed live above the law see this case as proof.
But it’s also important to make sure that one realizes that a half full glass does not a confirmation make.
The truth is that Judge Ernest DiSantis went out of his way to make sure that very thing didn’t happen, moving the case out of town to attract a neutral jury and ruling time and time again in pre-trial motions against the defense.
As much as we’d like to believe that the fix was in, the simple truth, as one juror put it, was that the prosecution “just didn’t have the evidence.”
Mayor Filippi committed political suicide by investing in property near a proposed race track, and then misleading the public about his involvement.
For that crime he was handed a whopping six figure legal bill and watched as his personal reputation and political career got shredded into tatters.
Those who believe that he walked away clean don’t really understand the big picture.
We’re also getting numerous calls calling for an investigation into State Representative Linda Bebko-Jones, who decided not to seek an 8th term in office after her nominating petitions were challenged in court by a member of Cleansweep, the grass roots organization looking to oust incumbents who voted for that controversial legislative pay raise.
Cleansweep contends that some of her signatures looked to be in the same handwriting, suggesting something between sloppiness and outright fraud.
Bebko-Jones, knowing the attempted money grab gives her a huge uphill battle, decided to quit now before incurring the legal bills of a fight to stay on the ballot.
But that’s not good enough for our erstwhile callers, who want a full criminal investigation.
Into what?
Is our lust for bringing down the powerful so thirsty that it’s not a just sentence for political mistakes to cost political careers?
Doesn’t that punishment fit the crime?
It’s hard not to be cynical these days but the truth is rarely painted in black and white.
In representative government it’s not good enough for the people to fall back on routine stereotypes; we have a responsibility to select our leaders with a scalpel, and not a scythe.
If we’re not willing to do that, then we do get the government we deserve.