Choose morally mature candidates

Are you as frustrated as I am with the job performance of our national public servants?

The April 10 Gallup poll states that Congress has an approval rating of 13 percent. President Barack Obama has disapproval ratings that exceed his approval ratings on job performance. The leadership of the two major political parties appears more interested in political power than the welfare of our nation.

Once elected, well- intended public servants experience tremendous pressure from party leaders, donors, lobbyists and the media to abandon their values and their constituents.

We as voters need to re-evaluate how we select candidates for public office. Personal appearance, likability, electability and blind loyalty to a political party are shallow criteria for candidate selection. As responsible citizens, we need to evaluate candidates with a deeper assessment of their moral integrity and character, starting with the primary elections June 3.

We need to elect Morally Mature (MM) Statesmen instead of secular politicians, using the following criteria:

' Morally mature:

The MM Statesman believes the following truths from the Declaration of Independence: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The MM statesman honors the Creator, actively participates in a faith community and relies on his moral values to make public policy decisions. The secular politician hides his moral values or hypocritically states that moral values won't influence his public policy decisions. He believes that the Creator and religion should not affect public policy. Without moral integrity, he easily is influenced by political party leadership, special interests and campaign donors.

' Trustworthy

: The MM statesman seeks and speaks the truth at all times. He upholds the Constitution and follows through on his commitments. When campaigning, he focuses on his position regarding issues and denounces any negative ads by third parties attacking his opponents. The secular politician doesn't believe in objective truth but does believe that lying to influence public perceptions is acceptable behavior. He strictly adheres to his political party's messages and uses attack ads to discredit and even scandalize his opponents.

' Humble:

The MM statesman believes it is a honor and privilege to serve his Creator, country and constituents to promote the common good. The secular politician primarily utilizes the power personal benefit or to benefit special interests even though it hurts the country or his constituents.

' Vision

: The MM statesman articulates a clear vision on the proper role of the federal government beyond national defense and public safety. He also presents a clear vision for the role of America in the world. The secular politician blindly supports the ideology of his political party.

' Accountable

: The MM statesman believes that he is accountable to the Creator and his constituents. He performs his responsibilities in an open and transparent manner. He takes responsibility for any mistakes and apologizes to those affected by this failure. The secular politician talks about transparency but operates in a covert manner. He tries to cover up mistakes and is willing to lie to avoid political consequences.

As responsible citizens, please vote for morally mature statesmen who love God and country, have both high moral integrity and a servant heart, and possess strong leadership skills.

' Bill Brennan of Cedar Rapids is a freelance writer and retired business development manager from Rockwell Collins. Comments: WTBRENNAN@aol.com