The Public's Trust.

What is public trust? We hear the words in media about the public's trust, but what is the public's trust? What is it that the public is suppose to trust in? The public trust might be that it trusts that elected officials in all levels of government will act for the greater good of all. The public trust might be that the police or fire departments will be there to protect and serve them. The public trust might be that it, the general public, trusts the teachers to educate the children. In general then the public trust is all these things that everyone has access to public goods or services. What happens when a group such as politicians loose the public's trust? Does the loss then become a moral issue such as the fact that since a politician looses the public's trust that they can no longer do they job? I would have to answer no. The politician might loose the public's trust, they might yet hold on to power by staying in power, while ignoring the voice of the people. The politician might even manage to run for office again, and win, thereby staying in office, even though the politician has lost the general public's trust. So what good does it do to have the public's trust? To have the public's one would presume that it would make it easier to pass laws and regulations. Thus it is easier to find support for a politician, and their views. However the public's trust will only go so far as the public is willing, and able to believe in the integrity of a politician's words, and actions. The minute that the public no longer trust's the integrity of a politician's words or actions, the politician will have then lost the public's trust, the voters then become disfranchised with not just the individual politician, but with the whole area of politics. Taking stock of the public's view of politics today we might consider the fact that the public trust of politician's has been lost as a result of greed. Politician's have gotten greedy for power, for the perks that go with power, the supposed prestige that goes with having political power. There fore you have politician's that will say one thing to get elected and do another thing once in office. They in effect compromise their own integrity for short term gain. Can Congress have the public trust if they do not follow the same laws and rules that apply to the public? The answer is no. By creating laws and rules that exempt a certain class of people, those members of Congress and their staffs, they ignore, or rather choose to forget the reason why they are where they are. They are public servants meant to protect and serve the needs of the public. In the case of the member's of Congress they serve by protecting the rights of their voters, and ensure that government is run for the public, and not for certain special interest groups. Therefore one can only conclude that the integrity of the US Congress has been lost because it is inhabit by a majority of selfish people as opposed to being a governing body compromised of selfless people. Even though the majority of members in Congress might be immoral, there still exist within it's hallow walls those who seek to act in a selfless manner. The only way for Congress to regain the public trust is to become selfless, and restore a sense of integrity within the way it operates.

Eric...............