Saying thank you

I try to make a point of saying thank you to service workers whenever I can. That includes shuttle bus drivers, MBTA drivers, janitors, the public works people who fix the street signals, and the kid who bags my groceries. They do work that makes my life easier. Many of them make very little pay and often deal with rude people. I admit that I do not make it a habit of thanking elected officials unless I've worked with them on some issue or legislation. They are in positions of power and I feel it is their duty to do their jobs well.

I'm wondering, however, if that should change. I wonder whether extending our appreciation for doing the right thing, particularly in the face of personal or public pressure to do otherwise, would relieve the pressure to do the wrong thing.

I starting thinking about this after hearing about the apparent suicide of Middlesex Sheriff James DiPaola. I did not know DiPaola personally. I never worked with his office. Like everyone else, I was shocked to hear of his suicide.

DiPaola had just decided to resign as Middlesex County Sheriff after the Boston Globe made public his attempt to take advantage of a loophole in the law would have allowed him to take his state earned pension while also earning his salary as the Sheriff. He was also under investigation for allegedly campaign finance impropriety. By most accounts, this investigation was for fairly minor offenses. Despite just winning re-election by a considerable margin, he chose to resign so that he would not be known as the person who double-dipped.

In a state that is awash in news stories of official corruption of the highest order, DiPaola's decision to resign showed that there are still people with integrity in our system. Stories that have come out afterwards describe a person who believed in treating others with dignity, who believed in reform over punishment, and who was generally an all around good person.

After reading about his decision to resign, I thought to myself, "I should write him a letter thanking him for putting the dignity of his office ahead of his own personal gain." I admire individuals who have the strength of character to publicly admit a mistake and act to address it. I wanted him to know that. But I never wrote that letter. Now, I do not for one second believe that if I had done so he would be alive today. I am not that powerful. But I do believe that if more people had done something like that for DiPaola and others like him, throughout his career and in this recent period of stress, perhaps the burdens that weighed on him would be that much less.

So, I would like to take this opportunity to thank elected officials who do the right thing even if it means losing your seat. This includes Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold. This includes any of those members of Congress who vote to allow the service of openly gay individuals, as well as those who vote in favor of the DREAM Act. This includes members of the state legislature that voted against the recent anti-immigrant policies. And for those members of the Boston City Council who vote not to expel Chuck Turner. Yes, he was convicted of taking $1000 from an FBI informant. But we all know that Turner does not have a corrupt bone in his body. He may not be all that competent when it comes to campaign finances, but we all know he was not bribed. I understand the need for rules, including the one that requires that the Council evaluate whether he is fit to serve. But rules without exceptions are never just.

Perhaps if we thanked elected officials for doing the right thing they may actually do the right thing more often.