Craig, China could learn from Red Feather

Yesterday Senator Larry Craig faced his home-state citizens on the radio giving time for open and candid questioning. His answers were far better than when his Minneapolis airport scandal first broke. He is fortunate he is in his present employment and not running a retail shop, a restaurant or the Olympics.

“Scandal” hits all of us at one time or another. Not always scandal, but mistakes we make, damaging news, lead in our product’s paint, shoddy sub-contracting, or even a hepatitis scare in our shop. The very life of our employment and that of those who work for us depends on our actions and communications. It has been said “the truth will set you free.” Never has this been more true than in today’s internet-blog-fest-you-tubing world.

In Boise, it was the truth that worked when the Red Feather Lounge had an employee exposed to Hepatitis A. What to do? Be honest, come forth quickly, believe in your customers and that they can handle the truth, and you survive the incident and are perhaps stronger.

Idaho has had its share of such scandals and incidents, as has the nation, and now China. The joke is that the only thing that can go wrong with the Olympics would be a Tibetan Monk incident – oh yeah, it has happened. This is China’s worst nightmare.

While problematic, China’s smog is legend and we knew that when the Games were awarded. On the surface they are trying to mitigate the bad air, but of course building dirty coal, old technology plants at the same time. Tibet though is a bigger problem and has raised its head at the worst time for the Olympics’ host.

Yet like the Red Feather, and the new Senator Craig, they could help themselves by just explaining to the world that this is a tough issue and they will work to do what is right. They won’t of course, because they are on the wrong side of the issue. Even the truth, while appreciated is not a miracle worker if you blindly or stubbornly stick to unacceptable intent.