Letter: Character, values desperately needed

Our country desperately yearns for truth and trust. That said, please bear with me.

Developing trust includes character, reputation, morality and truth. Webster defines character as, “a complex of mental and ethical traits that individualizes a person.

Character and reputation are closely intertwined. Character is what a person is to himself; reputation is how a person is perceived by others. The foundation of morality is to know truth and truth suggests conformity with the facts (Webster’s).

Further, it has been said that the six pillars of character and ethical values are: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

Yet political parties, politicians, world and business leaders, the media and individual internet participants continue to shape their comments often with misleading statements and sometimes lies to support their position. Fake news, disinformation, incomplete and alternative facts challenge us and cloud our understanding and judgment of right and wrong.

God created us, but we are responsible for creating our own character and reputation, good or bad, thus influencing those around us, positively or negatively, including young people and children, our nation’s future.

So why do we continue to allow these falsehoods to influence our society?

Character shapes who we are, what we believe and who and what we accept. Are we living the six pillars of character-building every day in our lives? How might others rate our reputation? Are we doing our best, setting the right example, reflecting truth and trust in our life? Are you?

This story was originally published April 27, 2017 at 9:34 PM with the headline "Letter: Character, values desperately needed."