Do you ever wonder about our lost values, our disappearing common sense?\u00a0 Where is our foundation, our cornerstone, showing us the values that are America?\u00a0 Our foundation is crumbling and a cornerstone is hard to find.\u00a0 And we have fewer anchors to look to for help understanding what we are, and what we should aspire to be.<\/p>\n
Nearly 30 years ago, I met such a man, such an anchor, although I did not realize it at the time.\u00a0 Our first meeting was in the emergency department of Bannock Memorial Hospital.\u00a0 He was a bit confused when I very kindly, but firmly, asked him to please read, and sign, about 500 pages of consents.\u00a0 With a boisterous voice, he suggested that might be excessive; I suggested it made a great deal of sense.<\/p>\n
Through these years of our friendship, we have developed a heartfelt respect for one another.\u00a0 I found myself admiring this man who could approach his work with the values of justice, mercy and grace.\u00a0 Justice–getting what you deserve; mercy–not getting what you deserve; and grace–getting what you do not deserve.<\/p>\n
Moreover, he handed these out with wisdom and common sense, knowing when each of these values applied. I saw the true greatness of this man when I tried to help a young person who was in trouble.\u00a0 I watched my friend work.\u00a0 I was in awe.\u00a0 He did not need to know all that he did about this person.\u00a0 He did not have to care as he did.<\/p>\n
He had well-defined rules he could opt to follow. Why was my friend devoting this much time and attention to one person?\u00a0 Why was he wasting his time listening to my arguments; why was he even tolerating my arguments?\u00a0 He knew I was wrong.\u00a0 He knew he was right.\u00a0 But, nonetheless he listened and thought and worried about what was best for this person.<\/p>\n
His job was justice, but he saw it as more.\u00a0 He saw an even greater duty.\u00a0 I watched all that is good about this country’s values as he diligently decided justice, mercy or grace.\u00a0 Mercy was out.\u00a0 This young person had committed too many wrongs.\u00a0 Justice would be the safest bet.\u00a0 No risk of second-guessing.\u00a0 No risk of embarrassment.\u00a0 No angst of interjecting a human being into the decision.<\/p>\n
His answer to this young person? “I have known and respected this man for nearly 20 years and for reasons I cannot understand, he has decided to lay his reputation on my desk for you.\u00a0 You will be allowed to do what Dr. Bosley requests.”\u00a0 The young person changed her life.\u00a0 My friend took a chance.\u00a0 He changed a life.\u00a0 He saved a life.\u00a0 That day I witnessed grace.<\/p>\n
Many years later, working with another person in trouble, my friend gave a wonderful lesson on common sense; common sense applied in a fashion that caused me to smile with admiration.\u00a0 My friend repeatedly asked this person to sit quietly and listen.\u00a0 He even offered this person the opportunity of a very clear verbal education. Lacking in judgment, this person decided not to listen, instead erroneously assuming challenge was the best approach.\u00a0 He could not have been more wrong.<\/p>\n
This person still learned the value of sitting quietly and listening, which he did for the remainder of his time working with my friend; although it took a novel, common sense use of duct tape over his mouth to finish the important lesson of sitting quietly and listening when told to do so.<\/p>\n
Values and common sense.<\/p>\n
My friend? Retired Judge Peter D. McDermott.\u00a0 We need more Peter McDermott’s in this world, more values, more common sense.<\/p>\n
When most of us retire, we will not have excelled as the judge did.\u00a0 But he is a model, a goal, a reminder of what we can do.\u00a0 Thankfully, we occasionally have the privilege of knowing a Peter McDermott who reminds us.\u00a0 Thank you Your Honor.<\/p>\n
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