Here’s a re-cap of recent issues that have caught my attention. Representative Charles Rangel, (D) from New York, who was censured by the House in 2010 after the Ethics Committee found him guilty of 11 counts of ethics violations, (failure to pay taxes, improper solicitation of fundraising donations, failure to correctly report his personal income), has agreed to pay $23,...

I was saddened to learn of the passing of Rushworth Kidder, founder and president of The Institute for Global Ethics, whose stated mission is “To promote ethical behavior in individuals, and cultures of integrity in institutions and nations through research, public discourse, and practical action.” I first became acquainted with Rush through his book, How Good People Make Tough Choices. “At a...

One of the things I enjoyed most in teaching ethics to an enthusiastic and dedicated group of New Hampshire students is reading the many personal stories from their papers that demonstrate a variety of ethical values. Every morning, Barry Hutchins* would leave the town of Mason to drive a little more than an hour – frequently through snow – to get...

It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one pointing out the lack of a clearly defined ethical code followed by justices on the Supreme Court. “Chief Justice John Roberts Jr.,” the NEW YORK TIMES writes in an editorial (Judicial Ethics and the Supreme Court, Jan. 5) “skirted the heart of the problem: the justices are the only American...

On a positive note, the stories from this site that stood out for me include… Fifty Years Ago… recalled the first time I watched and listened to President Kennedy’s Inaugural Address in which he reminded Americans “…of individual responsibility… ‘In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course.’ “… a call...

On Friday, November 4, Central Pennsylvania’s Patriot-Newswas the first to break the story on allegations of sex abuse on at least 8 young boys by former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky that go back as far as 1998. In ’02, staffer Mike McQueary personally witnessed another attack by Sandusky. Since that time, anyone with a microphone, camera crew or blog...

In a corner of my office, on a wall, hangs a framed memory that reads: “Presented by the Faculty Staff Club with appreciation to Jim Lichtman, writer & ethics specialist, What Do You Stand For? – Getting Back America’s Integrity, November 3, 2005.” The certificate was given (already framed) for a talk I presented to the Penn State Forum, signed...

The sub-head for a story in the Wall Street Journal caught my attention recently: “Companies spend a lot of time focusing on ethical behavior. But that’s not where the crisis is.” Author of the book, The Decision to Trust, Dr. Robert Hurley, professor at New York’s Fordham University amplifies his sub-head with the following: “Infamous frauds and financial crises have wrecked the public’s...

Okay gang, I really need your patience. After undergoing shoulder surgery, I thought the recovery would be easier. It’s not. While it’s painful to type it’s also holding back my recovery time. I ask that you revisit the following previous commentaries until I can be back soon. I’m hoping for sometime in the next 10 days or so. America at...

While Aristotle is often referred to as the “philosopher of common sense” due to his works on logic, being, nature and ethics, Tea Party Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann eschews all of that in bringing forth all manner of false facts and flawed thinking. This is the same congresswoman who declared at a Florida rally, “I don’t know how much God...