David Marshall: Corruption vs. human decency

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Most things in politics are intentional, rarely occurring arbitrarily. What may appear to be a coincidence sometimes is not a coincidence. Political activities can be like a chess match with moves against your opponent and counter moves. Politics is strategic. It involves action plans designed to achieve the overall goal of winning elections and maintaining power. American politics involves individuals willing to share political power and economic empowerment versus those who prefer to keep it exclusively within select groups. The activities associated with running political campaigns and governance are sometimes abused with greed, deception, and dishonesty. In 2002, Kwame Kilpatrick became the 72nd& mayor of Detroit, Michigan. At 32, he was the youngest person ever elected to lead the Motor City. Known as America’s “first hip-hop mayor,” his election represented a fresh beginning for many residents as he promised to revitalize the majority-Black city. The hope and excitement surrounding the new mayor would eventually lead to public corruption, marking Kilpatrick’s time in office as one of the most difficult periods in Detroit’s political history. “Criminal activity was a way of life for him, and he constantly used the power of his office to look for new opportunities to make money...