THE COMPANY WE KEEP

THE COMPANY WE KEEP

©Wendell Griffen, 2020

Little Rock, Arkansas

February 6, 2020

“You’re known by the company you keep.” 

I heard my parents and other elders say those words many times as a child.  They stressed that associates and companions influence where we socialize, what we think, and how we behave.  They wanted to know about my associates, their families, and what they believed.  The elders knew that those things matter.    

What does it mean when people deliberately associate with someone who has spent a lifetime being dishonest?  How should we assess the integrity of people who choose to associate with a sociopath, someone who cheats, bullies, and disrespects others?  Why should we entrust ourselves, our loved ones, fortunes, and future to people who deliberately associate with someone known for being dishonorable, unfaithful, deceitful, oppressive, and corrupt? 

“You are known by the company you keep.” 

I’ve thought about that message a lot while watching politicians deal with Donald Trump’s impeachment.  All six members of the Arkansas delegation to Congress (two U.S. Senators and four Members of Congress) are fervent and faithful Trump supporters.  None of the Members of Congress from my state voted to impeach Trump on charges that he abused his office or obstructed Congress.  Neither Senator from Arkansas (John Boozeman and Tom Cotton) voted to convict Trump.  

Not a single member of the Arkansas delegation to Congress has expressed displeasure or disapproval of what Trump did by withholding security aid approved by Congress for Ukraine, a U.S. ally fighting a defensive war against Russian-backed insurgents, in order to force Ukraine’s president to announce a bogus investigation of Joe Biden, one of Trump’s political rivals.   None of them have declared their disapproval for Trump’s concealment of his conduct.  

Why should we trust people who would rather be associated with Donald Trump’s corrupt presidency than truth, justice, and integrity? 

Would you trust your children to be safe around Donald Trump? 

Would you trust Donald Trump to behave respectfully around the women and girls in your family? 

Would you trust Donald Trump to keep a promise? 

Would you trust Trump to defend you against a bully?  Would Trump side with the bully if he thought it worked to his advantage? 

Why would you trust people who associate with Donald Trump to be fair, honest, and faithful unless you either agree with Trump’s oppressive, dishonest, and crooked ways or expect to somehow benefit from them? 

We do not choose our relatives, but we select our associates.  We vet them.  We decide to stand with them.  We are known by the company we keep because we have chosen to make them companions and keep them.

I do not choose to associate with people who abuse power and mistreat others.  I choose to detest them.  Hence, I detest Donald Trump’s abuse of power and detest the men and women who refused to condemn and denounce it.

I do not choose to associate with people who use power to conceal wrongdoing.  I choose to detest them.  Hence, I detest and denounce Trump’s obstruction of Congress and detest the men and women who refused to condemn and denounce it. 

I do not choose to respect people who defend abuse of power and concealment of wrongdoing.  I call them dishonorable, untrustworthy, and unjust.  I distrust their words whether spoken casually or under oath.  I do not trust their smiles, their offers of friendship, or their professions of loving God and others.  People who choose to associate with a sociopath don’t deserve to be trusted. 

We are known by the company we keep so I want to be known as someone who refused to keep company with Trump’s companions.  I want to support and defend the whistle-blower who brought Trump’s despicable conduct to light.  I want to honor the brave people who refused to be bullied by Trump’s order that they not tell Congress what they knew about Trump’s actions.  I respect their courage, integrity, and faithfulness.  I choose to belief in truth, not a cover-up.

I refuse to believe a liar, refuse to trust a crook, and refuse to applaud a bigot and serial abuser women and girls.  I refuse to pal with a bully.  For these reasons, I choose to detest, denounce, and condemn Donald Trump and his deceitful, cruel, vicious, corrupt, and hateful ways.  I refuse to be counted among Donald Trump’s sycophants, supporters, and enablers.  I detest Trump’s ways. 

I refuse to keep company with folks like Donald Trump my elders taught me not to associate with and befriend people who lie, cheat, bully others, and who are bigots.  My elders would be glad about that.  But my elders would be saddened that the U.S. Senate has chosen to keep company with Trump and his corrupt ways.

 So am I.