For a glimpse into the rest of Bernie Ebbers' life, take a look at his new digs. An inkling of just how lousy prison life must be can be found in the 15 pages of visitor's regulations.
Oh, yeah, and thanks to an inadvertently funny typo by some prison bureau clerk, Ebber's visitors may not wear "flip flops, thongs, shower shoes, or open-toed/open-heeled shoes or scandals."
I'm glad to see that Bernie Ebbers got this sentence. I know what it's like to work for a boss who puts massive pressure on to "make the numbers." This was back in 1983 -- before it was "in vogue" to stand up to such pressures or to be a "whistle-blower." I was eventually fired as a CFO because I refused to cooperate with his demands. I felt ashamed and yet outraged because of what happened. Now I'm proud of it. And I feel a freedom that I can take a stand knowing that regardless of what happens to me, I'm making the moral choice.
The business leaders of this nation have so easily "drifted" toward "the dark side" and today's business ethic is that if you can convince your auditors and they give your company a "clean" opinion (never mind that some things aren't brought to light in the "rep letter") then you've not committed any crime. This all stems from the "situational ethics" worldview that was birthed in the '60's. Combine this worldview with today's rampant materialism and narcissism and you have a toxic mixture that has poisoned our society.
There will always be the Bernie Ebberses, the Scott Sullivans, the Ken Lays, the Jeffrey Skillings, the Andy Fastows and the Dennis Kowslowskis in corporate America. People will have to stand up to them. Who was it that said something like "for evil to prevail all it takes is for good men (and women, of course) to do nothing?"
Finance and accounting is an honorable profession that requires strong moral principles and high ethical behavior. We who serve in this profession must be constantly vigilant and introspective to make sure that we don't compromise our standards, whatever the cost. The greatest model of this kind of behavior can be found in the book of Daniel in the Bible. Those 4 captive Hebrews in this story knew more about principles and ethics than we can even imagine. Would you lay your life on the line for a principle? Would you eat food that you believed God told you not to eat? Would you stop praying to your God because the state forbids it? Would you refuse to bow down to a graven image? Who would know, right? I mean, after all, it would be very easy to rationalize with the principle "when in Rome, do as the Romans," right? Who would accuse you when everyone around you embraces the culture of the nation holding you captive, right? Think about it!
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