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Deborah Jeane Palfrey read a statement last year in Washington. (Photo: Paul Hubble/Polaris)
Deborah Jeane Palfrey took extreme measures, even by Washington standards, when it came to defending herself against charges of running a high-priced call girl ring under the guise of an escort service. Standing before the nation's news media last year, the woman who became known as the D.C. Madam at once denied any involvement in illegal prostitution and threatened to make public her client list — to sell it, in fact, as a way of financing her legal bills.
Almost exactly a year later, after being convicted at trial and awaiting a prison sentence — a theoretical maximum of 55 years, though in all likelihood something more like 4 to 6 — it seems Ms. Palfrey took the most extreme measure of all. According to The St. Petersburg Times and other news outlets, she was found dead in a shed outside her mother's house in Tarpon Springs, Fla., and the police believe after a preliminary investigation that she hanged herself.
Handwritten notes were found at the scene, and she left other chilling clues with the biographer Dan Moldea, who spoke to her last year, according to Time magazine:
"She wasn't going to jail, she told me that very clearly. She told me she would commit suicide," author Dan Moldea told Time soon after news broke … "She had done time once before [for prostitution]," Moldea recalls. "And it damn near killed her. She said there was enormous stress — it made her sick, she couldn't take it, and she wasn't going to let that happen to her again."
Though she set Washington abuzz with her threat to spark a hundred sex scandals by revealing her customers' identities, but the big fish who were rumored to be among them evaporated one by one.
In the end, only three Washington bold-face names turned up in the roster: Randall Tobias, a deputy secretary of state, who immediately resigned; Harlan Ullman, a military analyst who helped design the "shock and awe" strategy used in the Iraq invasion; and Senator David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana, who has so far avoided resignation, though he faces a tough re-election campaign in 2010.
"Had he done so earlier along with the many, many others who have used my company's services throughout the years, I most likely would not be in my current predicament," she argued.
..
For anyone else who has refused to come forward — and that means everybody — time officially ran out when she gave her phone records to ABC News, free of charge.
The Vitters celebrating a primary success in 1999. (Photo: Impact Visuals)
Deborah Jeane Palfrey has never retracted her promise to shock Washington by exposing public figures who called her escort service, Pamela Martin & Associates, even after ABC's "20/20″ program found no fish bigger than a deputy secretary of state and a Pentagon consultant in the phone records. Now, a Republican senator from Louisiana has come clean before anyone tied his number to the list. In David Vitter's words, as reported by The Associated Press:
''This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible,'' Vitter said Monday in a printed statement. ''Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there — with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way.''
Senator Vitter doesn't say what he means by "a very serious sin," but The Washington Post sets some parameters:
Pamela Martin & Associates hired college-educated women in their 20s, sending them to male clients in the Washington area who, according to authorities, paid $275 to $300 per sexual encounter. Palfrey said that, so far as she knew, her employees and clients engaged in legal sex play, such as erotic role-playing.
UPDATE, 10:31 PM ET The Web site that broke the news last night, Politico, grabs some interesting quotes from a 2000 interview with Mrs. Vitter.
She was asked: If her husband were as unfaithful as Livingston or former President Bill Clinton, would she be as forgiving as Hillary Rodham Clinton?:
Have not posted about this type of criminal exploitation and murder in a long time, but this story gives great depth, timelines, and a detailed look at what I've posted many times about. This true story trecks aross the contenient from canada to florida, and is worth study so others might recognize simular happening to them or loved ones. This identical thing happened to my father. Read and learn before it happens not when it's too late.
THE LIFE OF MELISSA FRIEDRICH May 16, 1938 Melissa is born in Burnt Church, New Brunswick.
1953 Melissa moves to Ontario, lives with aunt and completes high school through evening correspondence at Stafford College.
1955 Melissa meets future husband Russell Shephard - factory worker. She marries Russell Shephard and has two children.
1970 - 1985 Melissa is convicted of over thirty charges in Ontario and PEI. The charges include various forms of fraud and forgery. She spends over five years in jail during this period. (see her criminal record) (.pdf file)
December 1985 Melissa returns to PEI.
Melissa marries Gordon Stewart in 1990, even though she is still married to her first husband.
1988 Melissa meets Gordon Stewart, a widower, who is selling some property on PEI. They begin a relationship even though she is still married to Russell Shephard.
1990 Melissa and Gordon Stewart marry in Las Vegas and then later have another ceremony in Vancouver.
December 23, 1990 Gordon and Melissa go to his PEI apartment. He can't remember where he lives and two hours later he's discovered frothing at the mouth on the floor. He's taken to the hospital and benzodiazepine is found in his system.
1991 Gordon is charged with and pleads guilty to assaulting Melissa and does jail time. She initiates visits with him in jail.
March 26, 1991 A probation order for Gordon says he is to have no contact with Melissa. Over next few weeks, she makes contact with him several times. (see letter Gordon wrote shortly before his death) (.pdf file)
April 20, 1991 Melissa and Gordon Stewart move to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
Linden MacIntyre interviews Melissa in a Florida jail about the death of her former husband, Gordon Stewart. (read excerpts from the transcript)
April 27, 1991 Melissa runs over and kills her husband on a deserted road. Three hours later she reports his death. Non-prescribed benzodiazepine (valium and restoril) is in his system. It's enough to kill him, yet she claims he sexually assaulted her. Tests do not confirm any rape.
Melissa later applies for pension benefits from the Department of National Defense and Canada Pension as a result of Gordon's death.
May 1991 Melissa and Russell Shephard's divorce is final.
May 26, 1992 Melissa is convicted of manslaughter in the death of her husband Gordon Stewart, 44, in Halifax.
August 20, 1992 Melissa is sentenced to 6 years in jail.
She forms a support group for women at the Prison for Women in Kingston, Ontario.
March 1994 NFB documentary When Women Kill airs. Melissa is featured.
Melissa becomes a 'media-star' after her release from jail for killing Gordon Stewart.
1994 Melissa is released from prison with full parole.
May 1996 Melissa sets up a toll free counseling line for women having trouble in jail. It's called "Project Another Chance".
1999 Robert Friedrich, a retired engineer, grieves the death of his wife of 53 years.
April 2000 Melissa, in Florida, sees Robert Friedrich at Christian Retreat and later sends him a letter saying "God wants us to be married" and includes her picture.
May 2000 Melissa returns to Florida to visit Robert Friedrich. Three days after she arrives, they are engaged.
Melissa marries Robert Friedrich in 2000. Within months, his family notices that Robert's health is fast deteriorating.
June 23, 2000 Melissa and Robert marry in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia at the interfaith Wedding Chapel.
March 22, 2001 The Friedrich family notices that Dad is falling alot, his speech is slurred, and he's in the hospital.
May 28, 2001 Melissa gets two prescriptions for Lorazepam. Police say six times Melissa got drugs from one doctor and then within thirty days of the first prescription got another from a different doctor.
July 2002 One of Robert's sons, Bob Friedrich, calls the Elder Abuse Line and launches a complaint against Melissa's care of his father.
2002 Robert Friedrich rewrites his will making Melissa the sole beneficiary.
December 16, 2002 Less than two years after they marry, Robert Friedrich dies. The apparent cause is cardiac arrest. Friedrich's death certificate is signed by a doctor over the telephone who didn't examine the body.
Melissa continues to get his social security cheques.
December 20, 2002 The cremation certificate is issued and no autopsy or toxicology reports are done.
Melissa returns to PEI between marriages. At the same time, the RCMP begins investigating her for Old Age Security fraud charges.
May 2003 Melissa goes back to PEI, but over the next year she will travel back and forth between Canada and the U.S.
September 2003 In Florida, the Manatee County Sheriff investigates six counts of doctor shopping (prescription fraud) from March 1, 2001 to December 1, 2002.
January 2004 Human Resource Development Canada launches an investigation of Melissa, specifically crimes relating to the Old Age Security Act believed to have occurred between 2000-2003.
September 2004 Melissa initiates internet contact with as many as twenty men from across the United States and Canada.
October 20, 2004 Dennis Friedrich receives a letter from State's Attorney Office in Florida. The investigation is completed concerning the crime of doctor shopping. The State Attorney chooses not to proceed because they feel they will be unable to prove the charges and there is no prosecution.
October 2004 RCMP visit Melissa at her home in PEI to ask her questions about their investigation into Old Age Security fraud.
Early November 2004 As RCMP prepare to lay charges, Melissa drives to Florida to meet Alex Strategos, a divorced 73-year-old diabetic, who she had been corresponding with on AmericanSinglesDating.com.
Melissa with Alex Strategos during their short-lived relationship.
November 5, 2004 Melissa has dinner with Alex Strategos in Pinellas Park, Florida and moves into his house the same night. Later that night Alex is taken to hospital after falling down and hitting his head.
November 5 - December 28 Alex Strategos is hospitalized eight times.
December 28, 2004 Alex signs over power of attorney to Melissa, while he is in the hospital.
January 2005 Alex Strategos' son Dean sees unprescribed drugs (benzodiazepine) in his father's medical report and blood tests. He also discovers around $18,000 missing from his father's bank account.
Sunny Decker is a self-made businessman who Melissa had expressed interest in. She met him for dinner days before she was arrested and while Alex Strategos was in a nursing home.
January 6, 2005 Pinellas Park Police arrest Melissa and charge her with exploitation of the elderly, theft and forgery. Police say she coerced Strategos to give her power of attorney and then she siphoned off his money into her own bank account.
February 1, 2005 Nova Scotia RCMP issue a warrant for Melissa's arrest. She's charged with defrauding the government of Canada of $30,348.54 over a four year period. The fraud offences allegedly took place between July 1997 and October 2003.
March 14, 2005 Scheduled date of Melissa's pre-trial.
March 14, 2005 Melissa Friedrich was convicted of seven charges of theft and forgery and sentenced to a 5 year prison term. She is currently serving her time at the Lowell Correctional Institution in Marion County Florida.
Her scheduled release date is slated for May of 2009. See the Florida Corrections site for more details
Melissa is facing six felony charges in Florida dealing with exploitation of the elderly, theft and fraud.
INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA FRIEDRICH Linden McIntyre sat down with Melissa in a Florida jail in her only television interview since her arrest.
"We were to leave then. And – that was when he went behind the car. He was going to urinate. He was standing up, walking. He was going to urinate. He went behind the car. I jumped in the car and turned the key on and backed the car up over him."
Ten Ways To Bring Spirit Into Your Relationships by Avalon De Witt _____________________________________
Whether you want to deepen your marriage, attract a mate or just get along better with your boss, it always helps when you bring Spirit into your relationships. Many times we get caught up in "taking care of business" in relationships and we go through the motions, forgetting all about Spirit... When you bring Spirit to your relationships, you are drawing from a power that is infinite... How can we do that more? Here are some starters:
1) Listen - Really listen. Don't try to "do active listening," or any other listening technique. When you're concentrating on a technique, you're not listening. Just take in what the other person has to say. Receive the meaning of the message, without immediately jumping to respond to the message. Listening helps you connect with people. Spirit loves to show up when people are connecting..
2) Practice Non-judgment - You never know how something might serve the ultimate good in the long run. It is not up to us to decide that the other person is right or wrong, good or bad. This does not mean you cannot assess things in your relationships. You can assess whether someone is being sincere, honest, trustworthy and so on. We just don't have to assign a value judgment to that, by saying it is good or bad. It just IS. And what you make of it - is up to you..
3) Seek to Understand the Other - Don't worry about being misunderstood. When you drop your concern about that, and get curious about understanding the other person, two things happen. First, you stop stressing yourself about what others think of you. Second, you show the other person that they are important to you. When the other person sees that they are genuinely important to you, they will generally return the feeling. Not to mention, being able to understand another person just feels good, and feeling good always brings Spirit to relationships..
4) Be Honest - If someone likes you for something that you're not, then it's not you that they like. Be who you are. Most people will respect you for your honesty, even if they don't agree with you. But don't go along with others just to please them, if it doesn't please you too. People will sense your discomfort and yet may not know why, which will create tension in the relationship where it's not necessary. Be true to yourself by speaking up and telling the truth about who you are and what you desire. I always say, "If you're not being true to yourself, you're not being true to anyone else"..
5) Eat Together - You've got to break bread together. There is no substitute for sitting down and sharing a meal with a person. Animals will not eat when they are threatened. When you eat with someone, you are showing them that you trust them. And when two people are trusting each other, THERE is Spirit..
6) Stop Analyzing the Relationship - Stop analyzing, stop worrying about the future of your relationship and just BE in the relationship. Enjoy the relationship here and now. The here and now - is your bridge to the future. If you are spending your todays worried about your tomorrows, you're not here, in today, doing what it takes to build something that can endure..
7) Say Thank You - The more you are thankful, the more you will have to be thankful for. And of course, people usually like being thanked. Saying thank you is like returning what's been given to you, with interest, except it doesn't cost you anything. Most of the time, thanking someone will make you feel just as good as the other person feels hearing it, sometimes even better..
8) Look to See What You Can Learn - When we are open to learning, we are expanding. When we are expanding, we are growing. When we are growing, that's the work of Spirit. There is always something more for us to learn. When we stop learning, we stop growing, and when we're not growing, we're dying... Learn and live!
9) Be Selfish - I'm talking Selfish, NOT selfish. Self with a big "S," not a small one. What you are doing in the relationship needs to be more important to you than what the other person is doing in the relationship, if you want Spirit to show up. You can't control the other person. You can't always know what another person's intentions are. But you can control yourself, and you can know your own intentions. When you concentrate on your own desires, intentions and actions, rather than those of the other person, you are taking responsibility for your part in the relationship. No one else can do that for you..
10) Know that You Are Beautiful - The spirit inside of you came from The Divine Light. If you are alive, you have light inside of you, and that light is beautiful. When you see the beauty in yourself, it's easier to see it in others. Enjoy the beauty that is in you. Admire it. Let it make you smile, the way the beauty of a child or a sunset makes you smile. Your sense of beauty will become contagious..
Remember that the purpose of relationships is spiritual growth. Every interaction is one more opportunity to become more of who you truly are. Spirit is the breath of life in relationships. Without it, we fall short of connecting with others... Bring more of Spirit to your relationships and watch how much easier it is to get along and to find fulfillment in all your interactions!
Attorney General Bill McCollum said the new bill would give police new tools to combat what he described as the nation's fastest-growing gang problem.
Florida is estimated to have more than 1,000 active gangs with 65,000 members.
FLORIDA'S CRIMINAL GANG ACTIVITY
"We are the state with the most growth in gang violence over the last 25 years. Hundreds of local criminal gangs have been identified in every city from Pensacola to the Florida Keys. This includes Florida's small rural towns, upper middle-class neighborhoods, schools, and other areas.
Also, the line between prison and street gangs is becoming unclear as gang members flow in and out of the correctional system. DOC estimates that there are currently 4,750 incarcerated gang members in Florida's correctional facilities. Prison gangs pose a unique threat to law enforcement, correctional facilities and communities. Mistakenly, many believe that when a gang member is incarcerated their threat disappears. The reality is incarceration of gang members often does little to disrupt their activities, and can often aid in the recruitment of other members and the spread of their criminal enterprise. Also, high-ranking gang members are often able to exert their influence on the street from within prison.
These national criminal gangs are also involved in other criminal activity including alien smuggling, arson, assault, auto theft, burglary, carjacking, drive-by shooting, explosives operations, extortion, fraud, home invasion, homicide, identification fraud, intimidation, kidnapping, money laundering, prostitution operations, robbery, and weapons trafficking.
Crimes attributed to gangs in Florida have increased by 61 percent during the past three years, from 2,759 in the 2004-05 fiscal year to 4,447 in 2006-07.8.9
Criminal gangs are also increasingly using technology to coordinate activities, recruit new members, and commit crimes. Gangs use technology in the form of computers, the Internet, and cellular phones, and are expanding their capabilities as new technology becomes available and affordable. Technology enables criminal gang members to work faster and more efficiently, which poses novel challenges for law enforcement. But as criminal gangs use technology more and in new ways, it also provides law enforcement with new sources of investigative leads and evidence.
The most commonly reported technology used by gang members are cell phones with "walkie-talkie" or "push-to-talk" functions. Gangs use this technology because they believe that their communication is untraceable or not subject to wiretaps. This technology allows gang members to communicate with one another instantly, which can be used to more effectively conduct their operations, such as notifying gang members of the presence of law enforcement.
The use of computers and the Internet by criminal gangs is also on the rise. Law enforcement has reported the use of personal computers, laptops and personal digital.
Collaborative, comprehensive programs include prevention, intervention, and suppression techniques and hinge on the collective work of a variety of agencies, from criminal justice, to social service, to mental health, to faith-based groups. Though they often require intensive resources and time, such programs appear to be the most promising in areas that have an array of problems surrounding a gang problem and fit well within an existing community policing framework. In addition, should a particular gang pose numerous problems, such as intense gang recruitment in schools, drug sales, and gang-related homicides, a variety of techniques and partners are required to best address the issues at hand.
According to FDLE's 2007 Statewide Gang Assessment, "the gang problem is pervasive and undeniable. Furthermore, the criminal justice community is in agreement that the criminal street gang issue is a crime problem in need of a comprehensive solution… a collaborative, coordinated statewide gang strategy can and should be developed. Such a strategy should contain elements that are flexible enough to deal with regional differences as well as the rapidly changing trends of gang crime that vary greatly from one locality to another."
APPENDIX A:
NATIONAL CRIMINAL GANGS WITH A FLORIDA PRESENCE
Some prominent national criminal gangs identified as active in Florida include:
18th Street Gang: A group of loosely associated sets or cliques, each led by an influential member. National membership is estimated to be 30,000 to 50,000, active in 44 cities in 20 states.
Bloods: An association of structured and unstructured gangs that have adopted a single gang culture. Large, national-level Bloods gangs include Bounty Hunter Bloods and Crenshaw Mafia Gangsters. National membership is estimated to be 5,000 to 20,000, active in 123 cities in 33 states.
Crips: A collection of structured and unstructured gangs that have adopted a common gang culture. National membership is estimated to be 30,000 to 35,000, active in 221 cities in 41 states.
Gangster Disciples: Structured like a corporation and is led by a chairman of the board. National membership is estimated to be 25,000 to 50,000, active in 110 cities in 31 states.
Latin Counts: Composed of at least five structured factions. National membership is estimated to be 400 to 600 members and associate members, most active in the Great Lakes region.
Latin Disciples (aka Maniac Latin Disciples and Young Latino Organization): Composed of at least 10 structured and unstructured factions. National membership is estimated to be 1,500 to 2,000 members and associate members, most active in the Great Lakes region and southwestern regions of the United States.
Latin Kings (aka Almighty Latin King Nation): A collection of over 160 structured gangs, referred to as chapters. National membership is estimated to be 20,000 to 35,000, active in 158 cities in 31 states.
Mara Salvatrucha (aka MS 13): Traditionally, the gang consisted of loosely affiliated groups known as cliques; however, law enforcement officials have reported increased coordination of criminal activity. International membership is estimated to be 30,000 to 50,000 members and associate members world-wide, 8,000 to 10,000 of whom reside in the United States.
Vice Lord Nation: A collection of structured gangs, led by a national board. National membership is estimated to be 30,000 to 35,000 members, active in 74 cities in 28 states
Even supporters, though, say the legislation is missing a critical component: money. In a tight budget year, legislators didn't include funding for potentially complex, costly investigations and prosecutions.
In fact, as legislators touted their efforts to curb gang violence, the House was preparing to vote for a budget that eliminates hundreds of prosecutors and public defenders.
Wallace noted the funding issues raise some concerns.
"What I would hate now is for us to do what this bill allows us and then not have attorneys to prosecute," he said.
Being assertive means being positive and confident. You are aware that you are a worthy person with your own special gifts. You think for yourself and express your own ideas. You know what you stand for and what you won't stand for. You expect respect.
Caring
Caring is giving love and attention to people and things that matter to you. When you care about people, you help them. You do a careful job, giving your very best effort. You treat people and things gently and respectfully. Caring makes the world a safer place.
Cleanliness
Cleanliness means washing often, keeping your body clean, and wearing clean clothes. It is putting into your body and your mind only the things that keep you healthy. It is staying free from harmful drugs. It is cleaning up mistakes and making a fresh start.
Commitment
Commitment is caring deeply about something or someone. It is deciding carefully what you want to do, then giving it 100%, holding nothing back. You give your all to a friendship, a task, or something you believe in. You finish what you start. You keep your promises.
Compassion
Compassion is understanding and caring when someone is hurt or troubled, even if you don't know them. It is wanting to help, even if all you can do is listen and say kind words. You forgive mistakes. You are a friend when someone needs a friend.
Confidence
Confidence is having faith in someone. Self-confidence is trusting that you have what it takes to handle whatever happens. You feel sure of yourself and enjoy trying new things, without letting doubts or fears hold you back. When you have confidence in others, you rely on them.
Consideration
Consideration is being thoughtful of other people and their feelings. You consider how your actions affect them. You pay careful attention to what others like and don't like, and do things that give them happiness.
Cooperation
Cooperation is working together and sharing the load. When we cooperate, we join with others to do things that cannot be done alone. We are willing to follow the rules which keep everyone safe and happy. Together we can accomplish great things.
Courage
Courage is bravery in the face of fear. You do the right thing even when it is hard or scary. When you are courageous, you don't give up. You try new things. You admit mistakes. Courage is the strength in your heart.
Courtesy
Courtesy is being polite and having good manners. When you speak and act courteously, you give others a feeling of being valued and respected. Greet people pleasantly. Bring courtesy home. Your family needs it most of all. Courtesy helps life to go smoothly.
Creativity
Creativity is the power of imagination. It is discovering your own special talents. Dare to see things in new ways and find different ways to solve problems. With your creativity, you can bring something new into the world.
Detachment
Detachment is experiencing your feelings without allowing your feelings to control you. Instead of just reacting, with detachment you are free to choose how you will act. You use thinking and feeling together, so you can make smart choices.
Determination
You focus your energy and efforts on a task and stick with it until it is finished. Determination is using your will power to do something when it isn't easy. You are determined to meet your goals even when it is hard or you are being tested. With determination we make our dreams come true.
Diligence
Diligence is working hard and doing your absolute best. You take special care by doing things step by step. Diligence helps you to get things done with excellence and enthusiasm. Diligence leads to success.
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is being cheerful, happy, and full of spirit. It is doing something wholeheartedly and eagerly. When you are enthusiastic, you have a positive attitude. Enthusiasm is being inspired.
Excellence
Excellence is doing your best, giving careful attention to every task and every relationship. Excellence is effort guided by a noble purpose. It is a desire for perfection. The perfection of a seed comes in the fruit. When you practice excellence, you bring your gifts to fruition. Excellence is the key to success.
Flexibility
Flexibility is being open to change. You consider others' ideas and feelings and don't insist on your own way. Flexibility gives you creative new ways to get things done. You get rid of bad habits and learn new ones. Flexibility helps you to keep changing for the better.
Forgiveness
Being forgiving is giving someone another chance after they have done something wrong. Everyone makes mistakes. Instead of revenge, make amends. Forgive yourself too. Instead of feeling hopeless after a mistake, decide to act differently, and have faith that you can change.
Friendliness
Friendliness is being a friend, through good times and bad. You take an interest in other people and make them feel welcome. You share your belongings, your time and yourself. Friendliness is the best cure for loneliness.
Generosity
Generosity is giving and sharing. You share freely, not with the idea of receiving something in return. You find ways to give others happiness, and give just for the joy of giving. Generosity is one of the best ways to show love and friendship.
Gentleness
Gentleness is moving wisely, touching softly, holding carefully, speaking quietly and thinking kindly. When you feel mad or hurt, use your self-control. Instead of harming someone, talk things out peacefully. You are making the world a safer, gentler place.
Helpfulness
Helpfulness is being of service to others, doing thoughtful things that make a difference in their lives. Offer your help without waiting to be asked. Ask for help when you need it. When we help each other, we get more done. We make our lives easier.
Honesty
Honesty is being truthful and sincere. It is important because it builds trust. When people are honest, they can be relied on not to lie, cheat or steal. Being honest means that you accept yourself as you are. When you are open and trustworthy, others can believe in you.
Honor
Honor is living by the virtues, showing great respect for yourself, other people, and the rules you live by. When you are honorable, you keep your word. You do the right thing regardless of what others are doing. Honor is a path of integrity.
Humility
Being humble is considering others as important as yourself. You are thoughtful of their needs and willing to be of service. You don't expect others or yourself to be perfect. You learn from your mistakes. When you do great things, humility reminds you to be thankful instead of boastful.
Idealism
When you have ideals, you really care about what is right and meaningful in life. You follow your beliefs. You don't just accept things the way they are. You make a difference. Idealists dare to have big dreams and then act as if they are possible.
Integrity
Integrity is living by your highest values. It is being honest and sincere. Integrity helps you to listen to your conscience, to do the right thing, and to tell the truth. You act with intregity when your words and actions match. Integrity gives you self-respect and a peaceful heart.
Joyfulness
Joyfulness is an inner sense of peace and happiness. You appreciate the gifts each day brings. Without joyfulness, when the fun stops, our happiness stops. Joy can carry us through the hard times even when we are feeling very sad. Joy gives us wings.
Justice
Practicing justice is being fair. It is solving problems so everyone wins. You don't prejudge. You see people as individuals. You don't accept it when someone acts like a bully, cheats or lies. Being a champion for justice takes courage. Sometimes when you stand for justice, you stand alone.
Kindness
Kindness is showing you care, doing some good to make life better for others. Be thoughtful about people's needs. Show love and compassion to someone who is sad or needs your help. When you are tempted to be cruel, to criticize or tease, decide to be kind instead.
Love
Love is a special feeling that fills your heart. You show love in a smile, a kind word, a thoughtful act or a hug. Love is treating people and things with care and kindness because they mean so much to you. Love is contagious. It keeps spreading.
Loyalty
Loyalty is staying true to someone. It is standing up for something you believe in without wavering. It is being faithful to your family, country, school, friends or ideals, when the going gets tough as well as when things are good. With loyalty, you build relationships that last forever.
Moderation
Moderation is creating a healthy balance in your life between work and play, rest and exercise. You don't overdo or get swept away by the things you like. You use your self-discipline to take charge of your life and your time.
Modesty
Modesty is having self-respect. When you value yourself with quiet pride, you accept praise with humility and gratitude. Modesty is being comfortable with yourself and setting healthy boundaries about your body and your privacy.
Orderliness
Orderliness is being neat and living with a sense of harmony. You are organized, and you know where things are when you need them. Solve problems step by step instead of going in circles. Order around you creates order inside you. It gives you peace of mind.
Patience
Patience is quiet hope and trust that things will turn out right. You wait without complaining. You are tolerant and accepting of difficulties and mistakes. You picture the end in the beginning and persevere to meet your goals. Patience is a commitment to the future.
Peacefulness
Peacefulness is being calm inside. Take time for daily reflection and gratitude. Solve conflicts so everyone wins. Be a peacemaker. Peace is giving up the love of power for the power of love. Peace in the world begins with peace in your heart.
Perseverance
Perseverance is being steadfast and persistent. You commit to your goals and overcome obstacles, no matter how long it takes. When you persevere, you don't give up...you keep going. Like a strong ship in a storm, you don't become battered or blown off course. You just ride the waves.
Purposefulness
Being purposeful is having a clear focus. Begin with a vision for what you want to accomplish, and concentrate on your goals. Do one thing at a time, without scattering your energies. Some people let things happen. When you are purposeful, you make things happen.
Reliability
Reliability means that others can depend on you. You keep your commitments and give your best to every job. You are responsible. You don't forget, and you don't need to be reminded. Other people can relax knowing things are in your reliable hands.
Respect
We show respect by speaking and acting with courtesy. We treat others with dignity and honor the rules of our family, school and nation. Respect yourself, and others will respect you.
Responsibility
Being responsible means others can trust you to do things with excellence. You accept accountability for your actions. When you make a mistake, you offer amends instead of excuses. Responsibility is the ability to respond ably and to make smart choices.
Self-discipline
Self-discipline means self-control. It is doing what you really want to do, rather than being tossed around by your feelings like a leaf in the wind. You act instead of react. You get things done in an orderly and efficient way. With self-discipline, you take charge of yourself.
Service
Service is giving to others, making a difference in their lives. You consider their needs as important as your own. Be helpful without waiting to be asked. Do every job with excellence. When you act with a spirit of service, you can change the world.
Tact
Tact is telling the truth kindly, considerate of how your words affect others' feelings. Think before you speak, knowing what is better left unsaid. When you are tactful, others find it easier to hear what you have to say. Tact builds bridges.
Thankfulness
Thankfulness is being grateful for what we have. It is an attitude of gratitude for learning, loving and being. Appreciate the little things that happen around you and within you every day. Think positively. Thankfulness brings contentment.
Tolerance
Being tolerant is accepting differences. You don't expect others to think, look, speak or act just like you. You are free of prejudice, knowing that all people have feelings, needs, hopes and dreams. Tolerance is also accepting things you wish were different with patience and flexibility.
Trust
Trust is having faith in someone or something. It is a positive attitude about life. You are confident that the right thing will happen without trying to control it or make it happen. Even when difficult things happen, trust helps us to find the gift or lesson in it.
Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness is being worthy of trust. People can count on you to do your best, to keep your word and to follow through on your commitments. You do what you say you will do. Trustworthiness is a key to success in anything you do.
Truthfulness
Truthfulness is being honest in your words and actions. You don't tell lies even to defend yourself. Don't listen to gossip or prejudice. See the truth for yourself. Don't try to be more than you are to impress others. Be yourself, your true self.
Understanding
Understanding is using your mind to think clearly, paying careful attention to see the meaning of things. An understanding mind gives you insights and wonderful ideas. An understanding heart gives you empathy and compassion for others. Understanding is the power to think and learn and also to care.
Unity
Unity helps us work and live together peacefully. We feel connected with each other and all living things. We value the specialness of each person as a gift, not as a reason to fight or be scared. With unity we accomplish more together than any of one of us could alone.
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Deborah Jeane Palfrey read a statement last year in Washington. (Photo: Paul Hubble/Polaris)
The Vitters celebrating a primary success in 1999. (Photo: Impact Visuals)
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