10 Tragic Consequences for a Public Figure’s Private Failure

www.capitallife.org

The recent revelation of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s marital infidelities is tragic and it reveals something about the character of our country. Each political party has its “who’s who” of moral and ethical failures. Each scandal is quickly seized upon for political gain yet the greater story is found in matters of the heart. To be a public success but a private failure is to place image above character. One often neglects to measure the ripple affects of moral and ethical trespasses. The following are 10 tragic consequences for a public figure’s private failure:

1. The shattered heart of a spouse.

2. The vulnerability of the children.

3. The sense of betrayal in a staff.

4. The loss of moral authority.

5. The jeopardizing of a future.

6. The message sent out to the next generation.

7. The damage done to a constituency.

8. The embarrassment to a political party.

9. The undermining of trust in one’s future decisions.

10. The inability to reconcile public convictions with private actions.

Where Governor Sanford is concerned, healing and hope will begin with repentance and reprioritization. Family values are not at the mercy of any public official. The lesson learned is that failure is not found in having values but in failing to honor the same. It can be said that the greatest failure can be found, not in those who hold values and fail, but in those who embrace no values and succeed.