What’s happened to character?

I don’t think it does any good for me to try to tell you where it has gone – you’ve probably got a good idea, anyway – but what I will tell you is that character definitely took the redeye flight out of here sometime during the early ’60s.

Until recently, character served as the funky bottom-line bass note to our Western culture’s earth-blessing groove. From Plato to the Apostle Paul to the original American architects and builders, character was viewed as non-negotiable and fundamental, for liberty and justice for all. Unfortunately, what was an essential ingredient to our national blessing is now more absent from our postmodern milieu than Anna Nicole Smith during an Oxford Lit. discussion of symbolism in Shelley’s “Frankenstein.”

Character used to be the staple of great nations, leaders and people. A few hundred years ago, to lead you had to bring to the table faith, character and virtue. Nowadays all you need is a killer haircut, the right number of syllables in your last name, good taste in music and an off-the-chain marketing agent.

Another reason character has gone to the gallows in our current culture is that the majority of those who bring up character issues usually only vilify what is obviously profane, and do it in a pompous manner. They don’t bring up the issue of character for character’s sake, but for their own personal gain.

You’ve seen it: Some “Boss Hogg” on television – some modern-day Pharisee who has his own mistresses and vices that contradict his personal, or his organization’s, scream for virtue. Hey, Capt. Obvious: We know adultery is wrong. But you know what? So is gluttony and being an ass. So, when you drop 300 pounds and get some grace about you, then we’ll talk contrition.

Okie-Dokie? The cry for character from contradicting caricatures actually ends up with people being more sympathetic to their leaders’ peccadilloes and other peoples’ flaws, and emboldens society to revel in their contemptible qualities.

And besides, who cares about character anyway? The 21st century has put a premium on style, not substance. Within our shallow and slushy society, charisma is whuppin’ up on character like a Texas redneck hammering a sarcastic male French tourist with a sexually ambiguous first name.

It used to be that you actually had to do something to become noticed. You had to win a war, cure a disease, slay a dragon … in one way or another, right a wrong. Nowadays, all you have to do to get out of the ignored muck of humanity is get silicone implants and do jumping jacks in a miniskirt. Or, get silicone implants and temporarily relocate to a desert island with a dozen other morons and try to survive. Or, get silicone implants and marry a Kennedy.

My ClashPoint is this: If we’re going to see our society pull out of the external debacles we’re currently cooking in – and stay out – we’re going to have to go to work on ourselves internally. We’re going to have to re-inject back into the personal and national mix a mega dose of faith, character and virtue. That is, if we want to continue to enjoy a free and just society.

So let’s put a moratorium on the banal and the inconsequential. Let’s totally duct tape the charismatic creep who’s devoid of character. Let’s put a cattle prod to people who use more than seven words to order their Starbuck’s latte. Let’s blow off how tight a person’s abs are and appreciate how fit his mind and spirit is. Let’s get to the place where “We the People” don’t feel the least bit compelled to acknowledge anyone who isn’t internally worthy.