What did nuns teach us in Roman Catholic schools in Syracuse and beyond?

They taught us what was right and wrong. Now that seems like a simple matter. Unless you bring “relativism” into your thinking. You know, the old “Relative to what?” game. It’s a nice day. Oh? Relative to what?

The nuns did not deal with relativism: This violates the Ten Commandments. This is a sin. That is not true. It is a lie.

This training helps sort matters for me. For instance, there is a famous politician who years ago was involved with fraud using securities. My securities licensing and training assured me her dealings were fraudulent.

Many years had passed by the time this got into the news. The statute of limitations kept authorities from charging her. Whenever she was questioned on it, she changed the subject. Nobody mentions it any more. But I know it was wrong. She committed a crime. Thanks to the nuns, no matter where she may rise in her political life, I will know she is a crook.

Years ago, I was visiting a friend at Christmas. His brother arrived. He was a highway supervisor for a county. He announced that one of the suppliers to the county had given him a big entertainment system for Christmas.

“It’s always a nice gift, every Christmas,” he boasted. “Last year it was a fancy barbeque.”

He and the family saw nothing wrong with this. “Relative” to the highway budget in the millions, I suppose it was peanuts. A token gesture. Relative to gifts that get handed out in business, it was nothing unusual. And, after all, prices ruled. Therefore this gift could not cause him to favor this supplier. Relative to those factors, this was just a gift.

But it was wrong. I know it was wrong because he would not dare tell county commissioners he had received it. I know it was wrong because the nuns taught us so. 

We see a parade of corruption out of Albany and Washington. We read about corruption that flows like water in Illinois, especially Chicago. We know New Jersey’s state flower is plastic. Its state bird is dead. Its state motto is “Steal.” Its state dance is the perp walk. And its state hobby is corruption. We see and know these sad things.

But we also know someone defends them like this: “You gotta admit everybody does it. Sure, he helped out a few pals, but look at his record. You have to grease a few palms to get anything done these days. Compared to what some of these other birds do, what he’s done is nothing.”

It seems to me that it is harder to swallow these excuses if you learned from the nuns of old. Sins were sins. No allowances. No wiggle room.

This brings to mind an incident aboard a Navy ship when I was 19. A sailor had discovered a way to sneak into a storage space for the ship’s store. He offered to collect watches for others. They buzzed about it until one of them objected. “That’s stealing. It doesn’t matter that it’s just Navy stuff. It’s stealing. It’s wrong.”

Yes, he happened to have been taught by nuns.

Some kids were never taught such distinctions. Their teachers did not make such judgments. Maybe their parents never did. Nobody said to them, “That is wrong. It is a sin.” Some were taught that sins to one person are not sins to others. Relativism.
There are several reasons I love to read about Harry Truman. One is that he saw things in simpler manner than perhaps any other president. He saw black and white and not many shades. Lies were lies to him. Wrongs were wrongs. And the scale of things did not enter into it.

When he sent letters to his wife from the White House, he bought his own stamps. He could have handed the letters to his secretary. She would have had them franked with the other mail. But, Truman said, that would have been stealing. Even at three cents. Even for the president.

Big politicians who accept vacations, flights on private jets, and campaign money for favors would not agree. The nuns would. Bless ‘em.

From Tom…as in Morgan.

Tom Morgan writes about political, financial, and other subjects from his home near Oneonta, in addition to his radio shows and new TV show. For more information about him, visit his website at www.tomasinmorgan.com

Sometimes heroes are easily identifiable, like our emergency responders and soldiers. Other times, it’s more difficult to see heroic qualities in those around us. But after some reflection, there are, in fact, everyday heroes just around the corner at your local mom-and-pop shops.

Just recently, America celebrated National Small Business Week. There is plenty to celebrate when it comes to our small-business owners.

Despite the odds against them, especially those created by New York’s excessive regulation and taxation, small-business owners and entrepreneurs thrive in our communities, provide local jobs, and help create healthy and prosperous communities. Amazingly enough, small businesses employ nearly 43 percent of American workers. New York’s small businesses account for 98 percent of all business enterprises in the state and employ more than half of the private-sector workforce.

These corner-store heroes put in numerous hours doing work they love and provide services and products necessary to the local community. Not only that, but also our small-business owners and their employees are just as innovative and productive as their big-business counterparts per employee. Small businesses’ importance in our downtowns and country corners is easy to see, but they need our help.

Despite that, New York has one of the least friendly business climates in the country. With numerous taxes, fees, and fines, and pages upon pages of regulations, New York is more of a foe than a friend to our small-business heroes. We’ve made some progress in scaling back taxes and providing relief, but there is much more to be done to make it easier and more profitable to operate a business in our state. On a daily basis, I advocate for our small-business community and the jobs it generates.

While we’re working on these matters in Albany, you can help too. Help our corner-store heroes by actually shopping in locally owned shops.

If you aren’t already, consider the ways you can incorporate shopping locally into your life. The rewards generated by supporting our local job creators are well worth the effort. Not only will you help your local small-shop owner, but also the dollars you spend there are more likely to be reinvested back into your own community and into other small businesses.

Marc W. Butler (R,C,I–Newport) is a New York State Assemblyman for the 118th District, which encompasses parts of Oneida, Herkimer, and St. Lawrence counties, as well as all of Hamilton and Fulton counties. Contact him at butlerm@assembly.state.ny.us