By James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D.
Everyone wants to be respected and viewed in a positive light. We want to achieve that compliment from our friends and colleagues.
This goal of being respected starts at different points for each of us. When we achieve this platitude, we must remain humble. If you have a position of responsibility, you must continue to be a servant leader. It is my opinion that humility is a trait that can be outwardly seen.
Back in the day, I observed people who were successful, yet they were easy to talk with and to be around. They kept their egos in check.
In some ways today, egos rule. It almost seems that being respected and liked is pushed to the backburner. Being respected endures the test of time.
One of my mentors cautioned me years ago about the importance of being respected. He said that respect should always be the goal and that being liked is akin to the stock market.
You are liked one day and disliked the next day. I have watched that philosophy unfold throughout my life.
I wonder if George Santos thought about being respected or liked during his brief stay in Congress. The former congressman from New York was expelled last week from Congress.
He was booted out because of alleged ethics violations including using funds to get Botox treatments. He has denied these allegations and may mount a campaign to win back his seat.
Mr. Santos’ background was called into question before he was sworn into office in January. It was not if he would face trouble, it was simply how much trouble he would face.
He believed that the Republicans would shield him however that was not the case. There were 105 Republicans who voted against him along with 206 Democrats. He is the sixth member of the House of Representatives to be expelled.
The last member expelled from the House was James Traficant (D-OH) in 2022. He was convicted of taking bribes.
With the Santos saga, it only leaves the Republicans with a 3-seat advantage. There is continuous speculation about what is happening in GOP circles. Almost at every level, Republicans are in the spin cycle of chaos and confusion.
As the Santos matter was being taken up by the House, Michael Guest, Republican from Mississippi and chairman of the House Ethics Committee said, “In years past, many members have chosen to resign instead of forcing Congress to take a vote to expel. But if you look at the report, if you read the findings again, they find substantial evidence of multiple violations which, in my case, clearly supported expulsion. We followed the Constitution in the way that this was to play out.”
News reports have surfaced that HBO Films has gotten the rights to Mark Chiusano’s new book, The Fabulist: The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing And Very American Legend of George Santos.
Mr. Santos won’t be endorsing the book or the proposed movie. What he should be is embarrassed and ashamed that his moral code of conduct has made him the laughingstock in the eyes of many people.
Now the political side of this debacle requires the state of New York to hold a special election in less than 90 days. Who will be running for the seat?
One of the candidates is Kellen Curry. He is African American and a graduate of the Air Force Academy. He wants to discuss kitchen-table issues such as the economy, crime and immigration. Does Mr. Curry support Donald Trump?
In a recent interview on CNN, he said, “I can’t worry about Donald Trump.”
Currently, he is walking a fine line regarding the former president.
In the meantime, George Santos has been disgraced by his removal from Congress and he has no one to blame but himself.
Dr. James B. Ewers, Jr. is a long-time educator who hails from Winston Salem, N.C. One of the top tennis players in the state, he was inducted into the Black Tennis Hall of Fame in January 2021. A graduate of Johnson C. Smith University, he received his M. A. degree in Education from Catholic University in Washington, DC, and Ed. D. degree in Education from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA. He has also done post-doctoral studies at Harvard University and Ewers is a life member of the NAACP and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
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