Nepotism has no place in rule of law

To the Editor:

With recent events concerning Whitehall school board member Brandon Howard's escape from full justice and the deserved public outcry, as someone fighting this entrenched, institutionalized familial entitlement, I shout "hooray" and pray this is the beginning of the end of familial consideration within and for those who govern Whitehall.

I hope it serves as notice to the city scofflaws whose hypocrisy and injustice undermine the rule of law the rest of us are expected to adhere to, as well as public officials who daily undermine America's Constitution. Their actions weaken respect for the rule of law, civic duty and the stature of city leadership. The result of this is the weakening of our city as a viable destination for respectable commerce and citizenship. As well, it tears apart, bit by bit, the fabric of social order, which binds a decent, civilized society. Their silence in these matters doesn't absolve them; it implicates them. Despite repeated communication regarding the importance of ethics, particularly for public officials acting in our name,

I have been ignored, mocked and belittled, and yet, curiously, the problem has increased. The past four years have seen a litany of lapses in judgment and behavior that appear to favor personal and political gain over ethics and the law. These include mayors, city officials and council members. So, too, their apologists also must be held accountable -- those who defend and make excuses for them, never addressing the wrongs perpetrated and in so doing allow it to continue unabated.

In whatever halls and sanctuaries it appears, this hushed, unjust, unbalanced standard of operation, in regard to the people's business, is a danger to us and must stop.

Gerald Dixon
Whitehall