Unprofessional Conduct
| October 6th, 2008 by Robert | Word Count: 699 | Reading Time 2:50 | 2,193 views |
Once we reach a certain age or position in life, our society, family, and friends expect us to carry ourselves with a level of integrity and dignity. Simply put, people expect us to conduct ourselves in a professional manner. Yes, we can still let our unbridled childlike passion exist when out of the office or with friends, but there is a time and place for that. At work, professionalism is a requirement of our position. There is a distinct line you cross each and every day when entering your workplace.
The “workplace” can be many different places and it doesn’t necessarily only include your place of employment. Professionalism exists in many aspects of our lives and as adults, we are responsible for knowing when and where we are within these situations. However, we can all agree professionalism is required at work. How we conduct ourselves within the workplace affects everyone around us, including our customers. Deviation from this workplace standard is unacceptable.
Recently, I ran across an article coming out of the United Kingdom (UK) which reported that a teachers’ union representative publicly stated that a teacher who engages in consensual sex with a student over the age of 16 should not face prosecution. My initial reaction was of course a state of incredulous amazement and then I settled into a routine state of awe… I am still in awe that someone representing a respected union of TEACHERS believes that it is “ok” to have what is termed as “consensual sex” with a student over the age of 16.
Is this conduct becoming of a person in the position of a teacher, a mentor, a leader, an adult? Professional conduct in this situation is completely absent. Issue number one isn’t even the age. It’s the idea that a teacher can have sex without retribution with a student. How insane is that? There are certain occupations where professionalism and conduct are paramount, teaching is one of them. This representative has effectively trampled upon the decency of the teaching occupation which he is representing.
The man himself states, “Teachers who have sex with pupils over the age of consent are guilty of a mere “error in professional judgment,” and should not be placed on the sex offenders register.” The decision is a “mere” error in professional judgment? Let’s say what it truly is. It is a catastrophic error in judgment which should in fact carry criminal consequences for the offender. Yes, I said offender and not consensual party. When there is a teacher/student relationship or supervisor/employee relationship, there is a level of control which can impact the situation. The existence of power alters the relationship.
How can a rational and professional person truly believe engaging in intimate relations with a student is acceptable? There is a trend amongst our “free” societies pursuing free rein to do as they wish as long as it “doesn’t hurt anyone.” Legalize drugs, it saves prison space, makes us money on taxation, and make us feel good. Legalize prostitution, it’s a free market, and also makes us money on additional revenue taxation. Legalize “insert x here” as long as it doesn’t appear to harm anyone and/or creates more tax revenue. It doesn’t matter if it’s morally, ethically, or professionally wrong. If it makes us feel good, then it must be ok.
We are careening toward extinction of rational behavior as our world continues to fall into an emotional and leadership vacuum. If all we care about is “feeling good,” we will be living in chaos. Rules, laws, and ideas of professional conduct are not here to make things “un-fun,” they are here because to live a rational and ethical life, there needs to be certain moral and ethical codes. We can assume everyone is rational, but this is not a perfect world. Rational individuals do not murder each other, steal from one another, or engage in intimate relationships with their students.
Professional conduct and rational behavior go hand in hand. Someone who construes having sex with students is both irrational and absolutely unprofessional. For a union representative to publicly state this position is reprehensible. He should be removed and reprimanded immediately.
Citation: http://www.foxnews.com/
on October 6th, 2008 at 10:17 pm:
Some people will always try to find a way to justify their actions, rather than being responsible for their own actions.Guess what? There are enough people like him out there that think the same way he does,and in the right places these people could push through a law that would make it legal.
When some of our school system, churches, police and other leaders in our communities are involved in this type of behavior, it would appear that morals and decency and respect for ones self and for others have went by the way side just like the old manual typewriter.
on October 6th, 2008 at 10:44 pm:
It is sad that people equate majority opinion with correctness. I’m pretty sure they are two very separate entities. Our world today believes in majority opinion as the ruling class no matter what the situation is.
Our problem is that the majority opinion is actually just those who speak the loudest most of the time. Our media has been overrun by the liberal minds wishing to pursue a nation of “do what you want when you want” living and they control our contact with most of the world.
Moral and ethical values need an injection of meaningfulness again. Somehow, living a life of respect and integrity has been shown the backseat and the greedy, self serving individuals are driving our bucket of bolts to self destruction.
on October 16th, 2008 at 11:41 pm:
Killing babies, lying, stealing on a corporate level and sexual morals out of control seems to be what our country has come to. I pray that God does not lift his hand of protection on our nation. Our nation is getting like days of Sodom and Gomorrah and if your faith is not strong you will be sucked into the infection. The far left radicals act like this is the norm, but they have no idea that a judgment day where they must give an account of their disobedient lives will be before God.
The days we live in are swinging so far left that God will soon do something to correct it if we don’t. I am not writing this because I am an angel, believe me I have been part of the infection of this world, but one thing I know God has forgiven me for all my sins and he will forgive you as well. So when the far left speak remember they don’t care if they drag your soul to hell with their open abortion practices and their un-Godly life styles.
((((Please Pray For Nation))))
on October 17th, 2008 at 9:03 am:
On one hand, it has become a free for all, on the other, any small “injustice” seems to be equal opportunity for arrest. There is no clear cut standard here.
It seems that we are inching closer to a life of chaos as our country moves forward. Living with conservative values does not equal no fun. It implies a standard moral and ethical baseline to live by. These standards are nonexistent in the society trying to move us farther left.