Musings in Search of a Muse

Those who work in the bizarre world of partisan politics are often accused of misleading the public and abusing the public trust. A couple recent news stories about tampering with articles at Wikipedia, one of the best examples of trust on the Internet today, show that said accusations have at least some basis in truth.

BBC NEWS: "Congress 'made Wikipedia changes'" - "Online reference site Wikipedia blames US Congress staff for partisan changes to a number of political biographies.

Computers traced to Capitol Hill removed unpalatable facts from articles on senators, while other entries were 'vandalised', the site said.

An inquiry was launched after staff for Democratic representative Marty Meehan admitted polishing his biography.

Wikipedia is produced by readers who add entries and edit any page, and has become a widely-used reference tool.

But it also says its investigation showed the vast majority of edits from Senate IPs were 'beneficial and helpful'."

AFP/Yahoo! News: "Wikipedia reviewing US, Canadian and British political bios" - "The founder of the vast online reference site, Wikipedia, said that volunteers were checking the biographies of American, Canadian and British lawmakers following some online spin-doctoring."

Stories like this only encourage me to measure by a much greater degree than previously required the lack of turpitude candidates and their staffs demonstrate in future elections. A government cannot be just or righteous if its leaders cannot be considered as such.

We Americans seem to forget with alarming frequency that our nation was founded because of political and moral differences with our progenitors. Also forgotten is that the responsibility ultimately falls to the people. If we allow our leaders to behave like cads then we must accept the consequences.

Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness (U.S. Declaration of Independence).

In the elections to come over the next few years it is time to reclaim the moral high ground by making sure that we put those people in office who best reflect the intent and spirit of the Founding Fathers. This mandate must extend to all levels of government, not just the highly visible national offices.