Deeds should determine what we believe

Talk is cheap.

It’s the reason we all know people who say one thing and do another, including ourselves.

We say we’ll be on time, but we aren’t.

We wear workout clothes but won’t work out. We say we’ll stop drinking, but we don’t.

We see this in others, as well. Many politicians advocate for gun control but are protected by bodyguards armed to the teeth. Celebrities urge you to save the planet by abandoning fossil fuels and flying their private jets around the world without a second thought. Again, folks who say one thing, but do another.

That’s what Mark Twain must have meant when he wrote, “Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.” That’s because, even with the best intentions, we can all fall short with action compared to the many words we speak.

Now, sometimes, that’s because we are confused about how to put into action what we believe. Other times, we say one thing to keep the peace and do something entirely different. And then there are those who intentionally deceive others to get what they want by promising the world and delivering much, much less.

So, when Kamala Harris told CNN’s Dana Bash last month that her “values have not changed” even though her positions on major policies have, I was like, wait, what?

How can the same values that underlie Harris’ efforts to decriminalize illegal border crossings, eliminate private health insurance and ban fracking for oil and natural gas suddenly also be the SAME values that support building the wall along the Southern border, abandoning a tax-funded, single-payer health insurance program, and also suddenly support an energy policy of “drill, baby, drill”?

They can’t. The same “values” can’t do both.

If you believe we live our values through our actions, and our values are deeply held beliefs, then you know that what someone says isn’t nearly as important as what they do (or have done).

One only needs a cursory look at Harris’ political career to see that what she supposedly “values” today bears little resemblance to what she’s valued in the past, from price controls to taxing unrealized gains on investments and redistribution of wealth.

So, which “values” haven’t changed?

The ones from her past or the ones she proclaims today? Or does it even matter?

In “Unbeatable Mind,” former Navy SEAL Mark Divine explains that “values are just words — unless we choose to practice them.” This is because what we claim to value isn’t always reflected in our actions.

And I get it. She’s a politician who has flippedflopped on many issues and promised everything to everybody in hopes of winning this election. She’s hoping the voters will buy it — hook, line and sinker.

It’s not new. This practice has been going on since at least 64 B.C. when Rome’s greatest orator, Marcus Cicero, received campaign advice from his brother urging him to “say whatever the crowd of the day wants to hear. After the election, you can explain to everyone that you would love to help them, but unfortunately, circumstances beyond your control have intervened.”

Sound familiar? Of course, it does. But telling voters your “values” have not changed is dishonest, particularly when you profess to support two diametrically opposed positions with the same values, believing enough voters won’t pay attention enough for the lie to be exposed.

Harris understands that what she proclaims as her “values” are just words — nothing more. It’s her actions in office that make a difference, not her “values.” By then, it will be too late for anyone who disagrees to do anything about it.

Yes, all politicians pander for support, even the good ones. But in the words of Margaret Thatcher, “If you set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.”

That’s been the legacy of the last four years. Nothing.

There certainly isn’t any value in continuing that at all.

Louis R. Avallone is a Shreveport businessman, attorney and author of “Bright Spots, Big Country, What Makes America Great.” He is also a former aide to U.S. Representative Jim McCrery and editor of The Caddo Republican. His columns have appeared regularly in 318 Forum since 2007. Follow him on Facebook, on Twitter @louisravallone or by e-mail at louisavallone@mac.com, and on American Ground Radio at 101.7FM and 710 AM, weeknights from 6 - 7 p.m., and streaming live on keelnews.com.