Remembering and Upholding Core Values
It is vital to continually remember, reflect upon, and encourage others to uphold the core beliefs that define a society—lest they slip through our fingers and be forgotten in the annals of history. These beliefs represent the values a society holds sacred—its very essence and purpose. Without shared principles and a collective sense of direction, it becomes difficult to reach the highest levels of societal development and performance. When we lose sight of these ideals, short-sighted decisions replace long-term vision, and institutional values begin to erode. The story of The Clan serves as a reminder of what derailing and defaulting might look like under such circumstances.
In democratic nations, sacred values often include freedom of speech, personal safety, fair commerce, the right to redress, and the freedom to practice one’s religion. These principles stem from lessons learned during times of suppression and ostracization in Europe—when many sought to build a new nation founded on general human freedom. Corruption and hate stand in direct contrast to the struggles and sacrifices of those early founders and the generations that followed.
Simply declaring one’s belief in these principles for social praise, political gain, or personal advantage is not enough. Words may earn approval, but integrity is revealed in private moments when no one is watching. When there are no tangible benefits you begin to see who people are at essence and what their deeper beliefs they hold. Increasingly, the line between those who seek external validation and those who live by their values for intrinsic reasons has become starkly visible. Many times true beliefs doesn't have much resale value but is a donation or gift back to society. Selfish people have a hard time understanding what sacrafice for a higher purpose is but certainly will find ways to profit off of it.
Values and mission serve as our philosophical North Star, while everything else—from laws to institutions—should support these universal principles. Some believe laws should serve only their interests, while others understand that laws must serve everyone. The debate continues in lecture halls, online discussions, courts, politics—and most importantly, around our kitchen tables. In every society there are people who will intentionally misuse authority to further their beliefs or values; even at the expense of society and others. They don't have internal checks and balances but often are good at buzz words. They also sometimes don't have external checks despite knowing of clear wrongdoing. I guess they convince themselves as much as others that hate is a useful tool.
If we hold that certain rights, values, and truths are essential to human dignity, then it falls upon us to improve where improvement is needed and correct what has gone wrong. We must also acknowledge and celebrate when the right thing is done, for that too strengthens the systems that serve the public good. Service, in this sense, carries deep meaning. Hate and corruption serve only a few—at the expense of all. Fair and balanced judgment leads to the highest outcomes.
The Clan: A Philosophical Thought Experiment
This story is a hypothetical, philosophical, and theoretical thought experiment exploring how people might justify harm through hate narratives and corruption. Think of it as a worst case possibility and what that might look like for people if there was a true default. In this hypothetical situation, the lack of protections for victims, open manipulation, compromized courts, aggression, silencing of witnesses, and shielding of wrongdoing became normalized by perpetrators at the expense of victims and society. The callousness and social coordination behind these actions revealed something deep and unsettling about human nature and the system’s ability—or inability—to manage it. Coaching people utilizing taxpayer resources/positions on how to harm others, secret background court deals with perpetrators, blocking investigations into wrong doing (later found to be true) and doubling down on harm are indicative of a deep problem that continues to create risks for the public.
Opportunities for correction did not initially occur, and as more victims came forward, aggression was used to run out statutes of limitations through forced silence and encouraged wrongdoing. Witnesses, whistleblowers, and outsiders were targeted and mistreated, while the vulnerable were left open to manipulation, exploitation and extortion. Even parents who told perpetrators to not involve their kids were put on secretive target lists. The damage is likely permenant. Within this closed circle of decision-makers and officials, correction was not only unpopular but actively thwarted, leading to negligence and additional harm. Despite multiple reports it was just too easy as a handy instrument to use local courts for personal and clan member gain (also a reason why we may need to think more thoughtfully on who we are making judges and magistrates.)
While the bad acts might not represent all, maybe not even a minority of officials, it does represent The Clan and the open free hand they have for corruption. Victims, the community, and the institution are not their concern when it comes to ideological self-enrichment and extreme segregative beliefs of racial and religious superiority. Some within these tight knit groups simply don't view others as having value. Same process of segregation continues. But we should have been wiser this time around.
By shrugging off human and civil rights, these actors enabled free riders in society at the expense of those who had a long history of serving others. Those who upheld the Constitution were undermined by those who had no values beyond self-gain. The choice indicated two different metrics that the wrong doing of some is better then the right doing of others. A moral test of each individual’s internal values and what they deeply believe about society. A quiet whisper of “Do the right thing” intertwined with core societal principles, posing a deeper question: Are laws a tool for power, or a purpose for justice?
Each person acted according to their moral and conscious capacity, and the unknown consequences—good or bad—became part of our collective conscience. The truths, both conscious and hidden, shaped our shared blueprint of values and ultimately our futures. These choices became part of the ongoing line of societal development, influencing whether we ascend or decay. Yet this is not a “free pass”—consequences always find their way through the system. Doing right leads to more right and doing wrong leads to more wrong until one becomes aware and more conscious over their choices. The people have become aware that such behaviors were present, that it was reported, and no protections or corrections brought forward (Keep in mind that protecting the perpetrators by warning them not to be obvious or get caught in their misbehaviors have very different intentions when compared to protecting the public or victims).
We must always encourage good leaders to rise and to correct injustices when they are morally capable, ensuring that sound values and well-considered decisions guide society to a higher level. Many are not morally capable and that is why we find ourselves where we are. Corrupt officials may force others to accept their narratives and misuse systems for personal or financial gain—but within their social circles, it is known that they have done so before, and will likely do so again. It is an easy path to take within a closed, clan-like system. The risks to cross into collectivization is not as wide a chasm as intially thought. Wrong leader, wrong situation, wrong narrative, wrong clan, wrong judge, some false underdevelop ideology, or wrong situation and it is there. Championing liberty should not be the last value on the list.
However, The Story of the Clan also revealed that not everyone is willing to sell their values to appease friends, biases, corruption, or extreme ideologies. Not everyone bends a knee to threats, buckles when faced with violence, social rejection, misuse of law, etc. These are the people who have served, who understand why institutions exist, and who remain deeply committed to the common good. As developed people they are supporters of the health of institutions and their social contracts. While hate narratives ran rampant, disguised under a veneer of legality, such individuals held fast to skepticism and integrity. They understood the danger of a world where bad actors act without restraint, with no accountability, no transparency, and no protection for the vulnerable.
Though the system came close to collapse, it did not fully fall—thanks to these unsung heroes who could not be openly praised in certain social or political circles. There are differences between those who make mistakes or are mislead and those who willfully engaged in open aggression. Good officials are true champions of liberty who believe in the deeper values still around and present. They are the genuine patriots, the ones who hold in their hearts what others only profess on their lips. The faithful members of humanity who do not stand for closed clan systems. They are the guardians of our shared future but they need society's help to keep the entrance to our moral conscious and cultural treasures sacred. The collective will must be a factor in leadership decision making or all that effort generations put forward is gone. Ignored and swept under the carpet into irrelevance.
How Civic and Community Engagement Can Help
There are organizations that promote meaningful causes and uphold foundational American values. These experiences test our choices between lower and higher paths. To me, these are not abstract ideals—they are living principles we should strive daily to honor. Those who share this mindset understand how essential these values are to our way of life and the future of our children and grandchildren. Even reflecting upon them keeps them alive, despite those who seek to suppress or distort them.
Stories like The Clan remind us why values matter. Officials are elected to serve the public; when they pursue self-interest or sow division, chaos follows. If you have the opportunity to join a civic or charitable organization that promotes shared ideals, I encourage you to do so. Such groups help us learn, share, and reinforce our collective values. More importantly, they keep those values alive—lest they fade into the graveyard of forgotten societal experiments. Or they are dismissed outright for the convenience of those who do not believe in them.
Through civic and community engagement, one can met many good people and witnessed the power of collective purpose. Almost every town has clubs and organizations that promote positive, pro-social values. While these groups often serve as social outlets, they were founded with the deeper goal of remembrance and support. They donate alot and do alot for others. Take the time to meet people in your community, build connections, and contribute to its success. You will find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself—a force for good that fosters shared values.
The health of a community grows through countless small exchanges of ideas, values, and commerce—often without our conscious awareness. By living your values, you create social pressure that encourages others to do the same, fostering a virtuous cycle. Always reach for the next rung. If you are young, this is especially important, for in doing so you continue the legacy your grandparents, the founding generation, and countless others sacrificed to uphold for more than 250 years.
Cogito, ergo sum — René Descartes.
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