It is simply unwise and unfair to force a father or a mother to choose between doing their jobs honestly and raising their children and their families comfortably. Of course, we have also talked about what the first President of my country, George Washington, called that little spark of celestial fire called conscience. He had it in his heart. Simon Bolivar, who we heard about in the session just concluded, carried a picture of Washington, in turn, next to his heart during all of his journeys across South America. That little spark of celestial fire called conscience can spread from one heart to another, from one nation to another, from one group to another.
Conscience is essential to honest public service.
We can set government salaries to meet need, but no government salary will ever satisfy greed. To withstand the astonishing sums offered by drug traffickers, for example, a person needs a stout heart and a strong conscience. That is why personnel in our justice and security positions need to be thoroughly vetted for their ethical values. They serve as our public conscience, and I'm convinced that their support would strengthen the hands of those who are fighting for more ethical governments. We need to respond decisively with strong and clean leadership, appropriate training and keen emphasis on the principles of military professionalism.