It is inevitable that those that demand the most from us are and ought to be judged by higher standards. Nonetheless, we must not confuse the message with the messenger. Intemperance by Bennett is not a refutation of temperance. The easiest way to steer clear of the flaw of hypocrisy is to affirm no values or standards against which one can be harshly judged. The more noble the aspirations, the more difficult it is to avoid hypocrisy.
One important measure of character and integrity is one's response when confronted with a personal problem. Does one blame others for the fault or assume personal responsibility? Does one engage in denial or prevarication? Bennett has dealt with the charge of excessive gambling with a twinge of denial, not quite admitting to having a problem. Bennett at first excused his gambling by saying that he had not lost the "milk money." However, having avoided bankruptcy is more a measure of the depth of Bennett's resources then the shallowness of his problem. After greater consideration, Bennett has conceded that he has "done too much gambling" and promised that his "gambling days are over." We hope for the sake of his family that he can keep his promise
Compare Bennett's reactions to that of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s. Kennedy rants against the use of sports utility vehicles and high gas consumption by Americans, but considers inquiries as to what he drives and his use of private planes an invasion of privacy. While we ought not expect perfection from those in public, they must recognize that their persuasiveness, their moral authority, is proportional to the perception of their adherence to the values they profess.
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