I’ve been watching the show Homeland and a plot point got me to thinking about right and wrong. We’re all human, we all make mistakes, it happens. When I was younger, I used to have this very noble sense of wrong and right. This feeling that if I or someone else were to do something wrong that it was imperative to accept responsibility. To own up to mistakes, no matter what the consequences.
So this whole issue of right and wrong is on my mind and I come across the story of 22-year-old Matthew Cordle. On June 22 of this year, Matthew Cordle killed 61-year-old Vincent Canzani. Matthew was driving drunk on the wrong side of the highway when he crashed into Vincent Canzani’s vehicle. After the accident, Cordle consulted some high-priced attorneys who seemed to be confident that they could get his blood tests thrown out and either get him off completely or get a reduced sentence. It must be nice to have the justice of high-priced attorneys on your side. So what happened? Matthew Cordle confessed on-camera to driving drunk and posted his confession on YouTube. He promised to plead guilty when charged and he did. This week he was sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison for aggravated vehicular homicide. Watching Matthew’s confession really did a number on me.
I think part of why both Homeland and Matthew Cordle’s confession got to me so much is that we, or at least I, very rarely see people do the right thing after doing the wrong thing.
And now your Friday Fortune Cookie
(don’t forget to add “in bed” at the end, if you are so inclined):
Now is as good a time as any to do the right thing.
Hosted by Mrs. 4444
I had heard about this video but didn’t care to watch. I just watched it. I have a mixed feelings. I’m glad he talked about excuses at the end. Too often we rationalize the reasons we do things wrong. Excuses to take us off the responsibility hook.
Good that he apparently sees and accepts his actions as terrible mistakes. But terrible and disgusting that it took killing someone to get his attention.
Glad he did that, Claudya. Not many people do. They prefer to escape and play the blame game.
I am still reeling at the shock of something I read in today’s newspaper. Two families — neighbors — constantly fought because one family’s clothesline obstructed the other’s pathway. Today, the owner of the clothesline was set afire by the annoyed family in a rage.
Thank you for sharing…..I forwarded this video to the people I love.
It is sad that it took killing another person to wake this young man up to the fact that we are responsible for our actions, but good to see that he didn’t try to get lesser charges.
I didnt watch the video yet but I always teach my kids that we all make mistakes and do dumb things, but it’s how we react and whether or not we own up to it that really speaks to who we are.
You are so right nobody seems to want to take responsibility these days for anything. So many parents make excuses for their kids awful behavior its no wonder they grow up not knowing right form wrong. I’m so glad this guy took responsibility.
I have to confess that I have not seen the video because I didn’t want to hear excuses about why he did it. But I am glad he has taken responsibility for his actions, as disgusting as they were. It is extremely rare for someone to do right after doing wrong. It was pretty appalling for me when a major league baseball player was lauded for lying and getting away with it a few years ago.
That’s a sad but refreshingly-honest video. I know someone whose boyfriend is facing federal charges for lying and cheating the government out of more than a million dollars. We talked today about what she should tell her kids. I told her he should model for them that when you make bad decisions, you have to face the consequences, so that’s what he’s doing. It’s too bad people don’t stop to think.