Posted: Monday, 21 September 2009 10:59AM
I Love You, You Love Me
Steve Corbett Reporting
Monday, September 21, 2009
The rumors are rolling again.
Whispered stories about the next person to get caught in the wide net of the ongoing federal public corruption probe circulated wildly over the weekend, drifting from Luzerne County across the border to Lackawanna County.
At a party Friday night a neighbor asked about the most recent gossip to hit the fan.
Another judge, he said.
Yeah, I answered, another judge.
But another Luzerne County judge has not stepped away from the bench - at least not yet.
That terrible tale has been circulating for some time.
Friday night’s scuttlebutt even reported that the president judge had already written an order to announce how the newest judicial vacancy would be handled. So far, though, the judge in question remains on the bench.
Another rumor involved another elected official.
Another story involved a former county employee.
And another former county employee.
And yet another former elected official.
And a powerful businessman.
And another school board member.
And yet another school board member – this one from a brand new school district.
And a well-known guy from Lackawanna County.
These people all have names, of course, but not all of them might fall in the probe. All we can do is wait and see what happens.
On Saturday in the supermarket, a little girl introduced herself to me. Then her mother introduced herself while I fussed over the baby. They listen to “Corbett” and the mother sometimes calls the show.
I asked the girl, who looked to be about 11, if she was following the investigation and the arrests. She said she was.
I explained that it is hard to look up to people in positions of power when so many of them are getting charged and pleading guilty to crimes that all involve violating the public trust.
The child listened closely.
Then I said that we must still put faith in the system. The system is working, I said, because police and prosecutors are taking these bad people to court and eventually to jail for the evil they have done.
The child seemed interested but she was still a child.
“Barney got arrested,” she said suddenly.
I quickly racked my brain for a public official named Barney.
“Barney?” I asked. “Who’s Barney?”
“You know,” she said. “The big purple dinosaur.”
I wasn’t sure if she was kidding or if the cuddly creature that’s loved by countless children truly got busted. So I awkwardly said good-bye and headed into the vegetable aisle.
When I got home I had to check.
Barney’s fine.
The only felonious news reference to the children’s character occurred a few years ago when police arrested a guy in New York for selling unlicensed costumes. The rest of the sordid stories are untrue rumors.
Like the public trust, the real Barney is sacred and pure. Barney is forever friendly and optimistic. In these troubled times, we need all the true friendship and optimism we can get.
So, as we begin this week, I can tell you unequivocally that Barney is alive and well and as friendly as ever.
I still trust Barney.
I’ll always trust Barney.
Judges are another story.
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