Can Lockett Serve?

A lot has already been said and written about Bill Lockett's admission that he embezzled money from his former law firm.  So much so, that one wonders if he can actually continue to serve as law director.

Lockett says he stole the money because of financial pressures created by a sick child. He admitted his wrong doing this week, because his former law firm discovered the theft and threatened to blow the whistle if he didn't.

He had no other choice.

We can all sympathize with a parent struggling to cover the costs of medical care for a sick child. 

The costs are enormous.  But Lockett isn't the only person to have to deal with this kind of  crisis.

People - in all corners of East Tennessee - are struggling with this issue at this very moment.  There is a husband out there, or wife or son or daughter facing a major medical crisis and they don't have enough insurance.

But their families will do whatever it takes to make sure their loved ones get the medical attention they need, even if they can't afford it.

In my own family's experience, my mother's cancer buried my father in debt.  Insurance covered alot of it, but not enough.  When my mother died, my dad was left to pay off the balance.

It eventually forced him into bankruptcy. 

He, like Lockett, was willing to do whatever it took to care for his loved one. 

He, unlike Lockett, was not willing to steal.

In the end, my father died fairly pennyless...but owned a wealth of love and respect from his sons and daughters.

No good will come from Lockett's admission.  He chose an easy path to solve his financial problems.  In the end, it will result in the hardest days of his life.