Give me the money but expect nothing

Tiger Wood's downfall was not only a personal tragedy but also a societal one. Another hero who meant so much to so many did not have the moral fortitude to reject his own immediate gratification to protect all those who idolized him.

Obviously, his wife and children will suffer. Some children, especially black children, will feel all fathers are hypocrites. Fatherhood has taken another hit.

Woods was given millions to put his smiley face on a product. His personality was a symbol of more than his golfing accomplishments. His uniqueness was one of wholesomeness that he stamped on every item. The consumer buying the product he endorsed unconsciously felt Wood's successful life would in some way positively influence their life, too.

The double life he has lived has been forced out into the open. His fraudulent image can never be recouped even with a new marketing campaign. All his accomplishments will be called into question. Was Tiger, like Barry Bonds and Mark McGuire, taking enhancement drugs? His integrity as a dignified person has been tarnished and never will be as bright again.

Everyone has lost.

When an individual promotes himself as someone to emulate because of a special God-given gift he inherited, he has an unspoken responsibility to his adoring public. The implicit commitment is that he lives his life as he presents himself.

Woods can now be added to a long list of athletes, politicians and clergy who have not lived up to their clean image. These celebrities have no problem receiving large paychecks, freebees, endorsements and donations to their favorite charity.

JFK, Kobe Bryant, Bill Clinton, Mark Sanford, Rev. Jim Baker were role models to many people. These former heroes' disgraceful behavior left many disillusioned with decreased faith in humanity. The indecent actions of individuals we admire negatively impact our own personal standards.

An extraordinarily successful person inspires many. However, when he commits a scandalous act, this allows many impressionable people to justify their wrong choices.

"No matter how despicable my behavior is, others are worse, even the seemingly virtuous people. Why should I do the right thing when no one else is looking, no one else does. Every one, including a hero, is nothing more than a closet hypocrite."

When celebrities take the public admiration and corporate money, they should be morally obliged to live the life they project. The living of a lie creates a house of cards that eventually crumbles. The illusionary image will be exposed during one's life or after death. Whenever the truth comes to light, his legacy and everyone who has bought into the lie will suffer. No one wants to be taken for a fool.

Maintaining a moral existence is difficult. Temptation must be rejected. All the gifts that come with fame should be recognized and appreciated. When your word is gold, you are given inner strength to continue on the right road.

Audacity of power inevitably hurts one's integrity and reputation. All the good deeds up to this point will be erased in the minds of people by the presence of even one scandal. The shameful incident might be forgiven by others but never forgotten.

Every person faces plenty of opportunities to do right or wrong. We have been given freedom of choice. Our misdeeds might not be flashed over the television screen, but loved ones will eventually learn the truth. Although family and friends are a smaller audience, the effect on their lives will be larger and as intense. The same appreciation of daily blessings that celebrities must recognize, the average Joe needs to acknowledge or experience a similar fate.

Anyone who believes he did not get as much as he deserves is as vulnerable as the celebrity who feels he received more than he should have. The lack of fame and money does not protect a person from stupid, impulsive behavior. Only caring about our positive impact on others does.

Humility is a protective glow that shields the famous and not famous from falling into disgrace. As a people and a nation we must honor those quiet unassuming people close to us in our lives. Many of these people have lived a life that was not glamorous but lived it with honesty. These unsung heroes deserve our respect.

Our nation will be preserved through the efforts of these unsung heroes not by self-promoting and selfish con men.