A Fake Doctor's Note

I never tried to pull it off when I was a kid. 

Never.

Ever.

The consequences would have left an impression on my mind and on my behind.

I never tried to fake being sick to get out of school.

I never tried to falsify a note or an excuse.  It's lying.  Plain and simple.

And then I see the news stories coming out of Wisconsin:

http://www.5newsonline.com/news/witi-20110220-doctors-excuse,0,2938787.story?track=rss

Doctor's handing out notes for teachers protesting a law being passed to end some of their collective bargaining rights.  Notes handed out without any form of examination.  Or appointment.  Just off the cuff.  Because a doctor agrees with what the teachers are doing.

Now, please don't get me wrong.  I am not dissing the teachers and their protest.  I believe that there are things worth fighting for in our lives.  There are things worth standing up and protesting.  I believe teachers are well under-paid and deserve every single bit of pay, benefits and retirement they earn.  I believe if the state has been taken to town by collective bargaining, the state of Wisconsin needs to get some better negotiators.  Not take away the rights of the teachers.  That's simply my opinion. 

But if you are going to protest, don't lessen your protest by lying.  Don't lessen your protest by accepting something given to you dishonestly.  If you are going to protest, take the punishment.  Then show how unjust the punishment is.

That was the secret to the Civil Right's movement.  African-Americans and others intentionally broke laws that were unjust.  They did so on purpose knowing the consequences.  Knowing they would be jailed.  Knowing they would get a blight on their records.  But they did so en masse to draw attention to the stupidity of those laws in the first place.  As more and more were convicted of "crimes" simply because of skin color, it exposed the sham of it all.  People were drawn to the cause because of the willingness of those who would accept the unjust consequences of their actions because they knew their cause was right.

If indeed, the protesters in Wisconsin are just in their protest, they do not need a fake doctor's note.  If they are convinced they are right about their cause, they shouldn't even want one.

I mean, let's think about the conversation a teacher will have with their kids when returning to school:

Student: Ma'am, why were you gone for the past few days?

Teacher: I was protesting the passage of a law I felt was unjust.

Student: But won't you get in trouble for being gone?

Teacher: No, I have a doctor's note telling me it was O.K.

Student: But you weren't sick.

Teacher: Yes, but this way, I can protest without worrying about losing my job or losing any pay.

Student: But you lied.

Teacher: Yes, but sometimes it's O.K. to lie if you are trying to do the right thing in the long run.

Are you comfortable with that?  Contrast it with this:

Student: Ma'am, where were you the last few days?

Teacher: I was in Madison, protesting the passing of a law that I thought wasn't right.

Student:  But, won't you get in trouble for being gone.

Teacher: Maybe.  It's certainly possible I'll get in trouble or lose some pay.

Student: But why would you do such a thing?

Teacher: Because some things are worth fighting for, even if you get hurt a little.  I may lose some pay, but in the long run, I and other teachers will be better off because of it.

Student: So you will take punishment for the sake of others?

Teacher: Yes.  I will.  It means that much to me.

In Lutheran terms, one of these conversations leads to cheap grace.  The other is costly grace. 

Which one do you think has more integrity?