‘Getting things done’ shouldn’t trump character

I was flabbergasted to read in David Almasi’s op-ed, “Policy trumps character for Trump backers,” (April 16). The following statements: “(C)haracter is becoming a want instead of a need” and “Character is nice, but getting things done — now more than ever — is key.” He wasn’t kidding.

Several years ago, conservative columnist George Will wrote, in an essay titled “Virtues, not values,” that values are relativistic and interchangeable, while virtues are universal and constant. These days it looks as though even values are losing their relevancy.

Ironically, “values voters,” including some ultra-conservative evangelical Christians, avert their eyes from serious character flaws in President Trump because he’s flimflammed them into believing he’s one of them and because he is carrying out their agenda. Therefore they’re willing “to give him a mulligan” on his moral deficiencies, mercurial temperament and unpredictable behavior.

But to get back to Almasi’s point that “getting things done…is key”: tragically, history is littered with tyrants who got things done — some very efficiently.

Whatever happened to the expectation that our leaders behave with honor and probity? Is the last word to be that expedience supersedes integrity?

We can do better than that. We must do better than that! Anne Carr Bingham Salem