Saturday sports commentators  related what Nick Saban said when asked what he thought about Joe Paterno

Saban: “There’s physical toughness, mental toughness, and moral toughness.  Moral toughness is doing what is right regardless of the consequences.  Joe Paterno has MORAL toughness.”

When I heard that I wanted to know what Coach Saban knew about “Joe-Pa” that made him say that.  There must have been an event that Nick Saban observed where Joe-Pa made the right decision… and in some way it cost him.  Other words for moral toughness are: Honesty… Integrity… Justice.  Those things are only true of us when it costs us to be morally tough.

A few years ago there was a book titled “The Day America Told The Truth.”  The question posed was… “Would you be willing to do one or more of the following for $10,000,000.00?”  Here are some of the responses.

Would abandon their entire family (25%),

Would abandon their church (25%),

Would become prostitutes for a week or more (23%),

Would give up their American citizenships (16%),

Would leave their spouses (16%),

Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free (10%),

Would kill a stranger (7%),

Would put their children up for adoption (3%).

I’d like to make a bold suggestion.  Many people in the USA do those things every day for virtually nothing!  I’ve watched spouses abandon their family just to be “happy.”  I’ve seen many people abandon their church by just ceasing to attend.  I know many who engage in fornication and/or adultery for no financial benefit.  I’ve seen too many men and women divorce their spouse and it cost them financially and socially.

The moral fiber of America is a long way from what Nick Saban described as moral toughness.   Alexis de Tocqueville once wrote, “America is great because she is good.  If she ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”  I wonder if that is becoming true because so few people have Moral Toughness?