When I was on active duty, I kept my office door open for most meetings. But, when I was meeting with a member of the opposite sex, I never closed my door.
It wasn’t that I didn’t trust the people who came there. I was simply cognizant of the fact that I was prone to error and often given over to that propensity. I was responsible for my own behavior and that included what I said as well as my actions. If I closed the door, it’s because there was a window next to it and we kept that un-shuttered. I wanted to kill even the perception that there was anything unprofessional going on.
Imagine my surprise when late night talk show hosts began to belittle Vice-President Pence for doing the exact same thing? Well, there’s some real class in late night these days—not. I wonder if Gloria Allred now wished that Harvey what’s-his-name and other Hollywood “cultural icons” had kept their doors open? I wonder if the 215 people in Minnesota who elected Al Franken now wish he had been more responsible for his actions? I wonder if Democrat Representative John Conyers who lectured America on the real value of morals during the Clinton impeachment, now thinks he should have put on some pants for those meetings with his staff?
I served as a department head on the staff of the Air Force Academy’s commanding general for my final tour on active duty. On day one, I showed the people who worked for me the cross ring on my finger. I told them that was for me. I told them that I held myself to certain standards of right and wrong, and I wanted them to hold me accountable for my words and deeds. I had activists, gay servicemen, and agnostics working for me. I never received one complaint and I had a successful tour as their department head.
Just yesterday, a story in the Colorado Springs newspaper highlighted the abysmal sexual assault reporting system that has been operating these last several years at the Air Force Academy. The office that was to address these issues was itself now part of the issue. I guess there were too many closed doors down at that office. Good grief.
Where’s the outrage and disgust from perennial military, Christian, and Air Force Academy critics now? Absent, sir.
This is what happens when people do not want to be responsible for themselves and their actions. This is what happens when they base their standards of right and wrong on—wait for it—nothing. This is what happens when they don’t respect themselves and their people enough to keep their doors open.
Suddenly, Mike Pence is looking pretty good.