Responsibility Makes A Comeback

No matter who wins the election this year it appears that good old-fashioned responsibility is making a bit of a comeback.

John McCain's very biography is a study in responsibility, from his often harrowing military service and heroic captivity to taking on a host of difficult issues from often unconventional perspectives over the years. His calls for Americans to serve the nation or to "enlist in a cause greater than themselves" has particular resonance coming from a man of his example.

Barack Obama has used his unique position to call for greater fatherly responsibility in the black community, and for greater parental responsibility in general. "Turn off the TV and the video games and make sure your children get their homework done!" Obama chides his audiences. His plans to pay for college in exchange for national service are in a like vein.

The recent huge financial rescue package was only approved by Congress after both conservatives and liberals insisted on adding language intended to restrict the ability of the managers who caused the crisis to unduly profit from it. This, too is an effort to engender a little responsibility.

And some of the lessons many are drawing from our present difficulties are just as welcome. People shouldn't borrow what they don't have the means to pay back. For that matter, people shouldn't lend to people who don't have the means to repay, either. Some want to argue chicken and egg here, but the truth is both are irresponsible. The same is true, of course, on an issue like energy development. It's irresponsible to keep paying more and more to import it from abroad.

Perhaps, regardless of who wins, we will see a little more facing of facts and a bit more willingness to shoulder some of the effort that will be needed to makes things better--and that would be refreshing.