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Lessons from God's "Cultural Warrior"

I dont' understand state Rep. Sally Kern.

She says God wants her to be a "cultural warrior."

She says God wanted her to run for state office.

She says she's a good Christian.

Okay, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. But if the good Rep. Kern is going to stand before a group of men and women in Cleveland County and use that faith as a tool of her Legislative agenda, then she should expect to be held to a higher standard than the rest of those lawmakers who don’t make such claims.

Being a Christian is one thing, being God’s Cultural Warrior, is another.

Then, there are those two incidents of bringing a weapon into the State Capitol building.

Her first attempt, she said, was an accident.

Okay, most people will give her a break there.

It’s that second time that bothers me.

Granted, she was not arrested. But the fact remains, Rep. Kern — who believes we must use Biblical values in the operation of state government — knowingly broke the law a second time when she attempted to bring a weapon into a building where weapons are not allowed.

This in itself is a problem, but perhaps, not the largest of the incident.

What really bothers me is Rep. Kern’s response.

When I ask her about that second incident, Rep. Kern noted she wasn’t the only state representative who has “forgotten and taken a gun” into the building.

“I’m not the only one, there are others, but I’m not saying who,” she said.

In short, she was saying “other people did it, so that makes it OK for me.”

Sorry Rep. Kern, but you know better.

You can’t call yourself a Cultural Warrior and then try and hide behind the “well, they did it too” cloak.

It doesn’t work.

Each and every day I try to teach my children right from wrong.

Each and every day, a main part of that lesson is this: Just because someone else does something, doesn’t make it right.

Or in this matter, legal.

Rep. Kern used that statement to justify her actions. “I’m not the only one, there are others, but I’m not saying who.”

Sorry, Sally, but that is, quite possibly, the lamest excuse for knowingly breaking the law I’ve ever heard.

Try applying it to a DUI fatality: “I’m not the only one, there are others, but I’m not saying who.”

Or how about stealing: “I’m not the only one, there are others, but I’m not saying who.”

Or murder: “I’m not the only one, there are others, but I’m not saying who.”

Doesn’t work there, either.

So, Rep. Kern, if you’re going to truly wear the cloak of God’s Cultural Warrior, then suck it up and behave like one. Make damn sure you are without sin, before you start throwing stones. Remember the law says you can’t even attempt to bring a weapon into the State Capitol.

Leave the gun in the car or at home before you go to 23rd and Lincoln and finally, please, don’t give us the tired, worn out, “I’m not the only one, there are others, but I’m not saying who,” excuse.

It doesn’t work for my kids.

And it doesn’t work for you.

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