Hungary's president, Pal Schmidt, resigns after reviewers discover he plagiarized two authors in most of his doctorate which he claimed as his own work twenty years ago. It seems to me that those doctors who mentored him and advised him through the doctoral process would have caught such blatant stealing, especially since most of his doctorate was taken from just two other sources. I find it reprehensible that anyone would plagiarize, but even more so that someone who aspires to a doctorate would climb on the backs of others to do so.
I have often thought about plagiarism and how it is a cancer to our society. It is only a few words, correct? So how could it be so cancerous? Why kick up such a fuss about it? Le bon Dieu est dans le détail... The Good God is in the detail -- Gustave Flaubert (Madam Boavary) -- some attribute it to mean when something is done, it should be carried out thoroughly and to the best of one's ability, with trustworthiness.
The bible says if you can't trust a man in the small things, then you certainly can't trust him in the big things. Someone else said that character is what a man does when he thinks no one is watching. I wish I knew who said that so I could give credit where credit is due, because it is so true. It's in the little things where you know you can trust a person. The AP story today just proves another biblical truth, that nothing done in secret remains secret, but the full light of truth will shine upon it sometimes sooner than later. Plagiarism is stealing, plain and simple.
Stealing is not in the eye of the beholder.
When you walk away from the bank with their pen in your hand, is it stealing when the bank's logo is on the pen?
When you take several little cups of creamers from the restaurant table "for later", is it stealing?
When you take the shampoo and lotion left for you by the hotel, is that stealing? What about taking a towel and wash cloth... or the bathrobe?
When you've had pot luck at a club meeting or gathering and you load your plate down with left overs to take home, is that stealing?
When you take a hymnal home from church, is that stealing? What about sheet music or other music?
Hosea 4:2 By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break all restraint, With bloodshed upon bloodshed.
Another saying comes to mind: The devil is in the details. It certainly looks that way today.
No comments:
Post a Comment