This is not...

There's an old adage, often attributed to either Maya Angelou or Joe Torre, that says, "You did what you did then because that was all you knew."

Joe

If you've had time lately to watch the morning news shows, there has been a veritable cornucopia spilling out of people accusing other people of sexual harassment, sexual improprieties or just downright other forms of disgusting misbehavior.

It involves mainly people from spotlight professions such as show business and news broadcasting and publishing, which is not to say that aberrance does not take place in grocery stores, insurance offices, and muffler shops all across the nation, because it does, to our national shame. I don't know if it's being in a position of power that adds an aphrodisiac quality to putting the mash on some other person, but it just needs to stop!

And the accusations are met with a combination of the following replies:

• "I absolutely swear on all that is good and holy that I did not do this, never thought of doing this, and would not have anyway."
• "I might have done this but I was too (CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY:) drunk, depressed, drugged up, young, impotent, neurotic to remember it, if it even ever happened." 
• "I am sorry. This is not who I am."

That last one - the "this is not who I am" defense - try that in case you're on trial for bank robbery, DWI, or nepotism.  

"This is not who I am" is another cop-out, a way to say, "Maybe I did this, but my heart wasn't in it." Maybe you don't like the way you acted, but it was you who acted that way, so it's sort of hard to say it wasn't.

I don't want to hear that anymore, but I'm sure I will. If you do bad things, or used to, it's time to atone and take the responsibility for past or current misdeeds. If you're sorry, say so, but don't claim not to be the person who did it! 

I like existentialism, the philosophy that tells us that we are each responsible for our own actions and deeds. We have all sinned, all fallen short of God's expectations that we do good things. Forgiveness is available, but receiving it begins with owning the sin. And then, we can say, "That is who I am. I did wrong and I accept the punishment and vow to improve."

Sorry for getting all philosophical. More bad jokes and jejune political jabs tomorrow, I promise.  That's also who I am.