"I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself."

I found Robert E. Lee's quote quite appropriate for this Fort Worth Star-Telegram editorial. In the article, the authors assert that Arlington council member Mel LeBlanc should forfeit his position after betraying the trust of his community by lying about his recent drug problem. Although he has completed rehabilitation, he broke the law and withheld the truth. The editorial was contributed to by the three editorial authors at the Star-Telegram, Linda Campbell, Mike Norman, and J. R. Labbe. Their final product represents the Star-Telegram's official opinion on the issue. Although the story focuses on an Arlington matter, I believe there are multiple intended audiences of this editorial. I believe that on a grand scale, it is for citizens of any community relying on public officials to be honest and honorable. More particularly, for citizens of Arlington, it is informative to voters about this particular situation. The authors clearly think that this man misled the public, and this story perhaps allows people to come to more informed conclusions concerning him. Lastly, I think it could be a reminder to public officials of all kinds that they have responsibilities to uphold morally and the public is counting on them for that.

            The argument is that, at least until the end of his current term, LeBlanc should step down. If Arlington voters decide to vote him back to his position, he should then serve rightfully; however, for now, he has betrayed public trust and should not continue. This is based on the judgment that LeBlanc violated the public’s trust four times. He used methamphetamine for 2 1/2 years before entering rehab. He first told police that he’d purchased drugs from single women and later admitted that they were prostitutes. When he first entered rehab in April 2011, he called City Hall saying that he was leaving for business in Europe for an unspecified amount of time. It wasn’t until May that he reported entering rehab, and even then, he was untruthful about the dates. In July, LeBlanc’s wife called police about drugs she found in his study days after being released from rehab. Although he is now open about his drug problem, he has avoided mentioning this event. In late December, the grand jury considered his case of unlawful possession but didn’t indict him. The four violations of trust were: 1) Breaking the law by purchasing a banned substance, 2) Consorting with prostitutes, 3) Not being truthful at all times with the people of Arlington, and 4) Being secretive about the police call.

            I agree with the authors’ assessment. The editorial opinion is based heavily on the belief that citizens have the right to truth about government, particularly when government is publicly appointed. This article is opinionated but is also reveals unfortunate truths. It has reinforced my beliefs that the public should be informed of serious issues that their representatives are involved in. While everyone make mistakes, those who make their living by representing others should be especially focused on making good decisions. Otherwise, there is probably someone else who would be better for the job. If any jobs need able-minded workers, government jobs do. When people are no longer fit to carry out their positions in the most efficient way, they need to take responsibility, which is only fair to those who have been counting on them, and do what’s best for the public. If that means resigning as in LeBlanc's case, so be it.

Where to draw the line?

There has been a lawsuit going on trying to solve the dilemma of accurately representing all demographics. On Monday, Texas attorney general Greg Abbott proposed a new set of district maps of the state's congressional and legislative districts. Groups would have to agree on the redistricting in order to proceed with the April 3^rd primary. Although the new districts were drawn to favor minority voters, many Democrats and minority groups still opposed them, feeling that Hispanic and African American would still not adequately be represented. Several parties have contributed to the compromise in hopes that the redistricting would settle quickly. Groups that support the new proposal say that the maps aren’t perfect but they are still satisfied with the increased opportunities, while opposing groups feel that the maps should be further revised.

The lawsuit not only affects the how peoples’ votes will be represented, but at this point, it is affecting who is considering running for state government positions. There are both possible House of Representative and Senate candidates who will base their decisions to run in future elections on the final district lines.

I think that this is an important issue to read about because many college students aren’t aware of the effects the redistricting has on an area after a census. While redistricting may not have a significant impact on some areas, others may experience a dramatic shift in political opinion. This story can be found at http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/02/06/3715967/disagreement-continues-over-texas.html