When Vincent C. Gray traversed the city during last year’s mayoral campaign, he often touted his record as council chairman. Under his leadership, he told residents, the legislature had the highest approval rating of any in the country. The public generally perceived him as a likeable, dedicated politician of integrity. His reputation has been sullied and tarnished by a series of recent scandals, which likely will have an imprint as indelible as the one of former Mayor Adrian M. Fenty as baseball ticket hoarder.
Instead of the selfless public servant Gray exemplified most of his professional career, some people have decided he is more focused on enriching his crew — not advancing the city. They have deemed his administration unready for the task of leading a nearly $9 billion public corporation.
Other folks I spoke with were unsure what to believe about the latest scandal. Was cash actually exchanged between Gray’s campaign and former mayoral candidate Sulaimon Brown, as Brown alleges? Why was Brown subsequently hired for that $110,000-a-year government job? These folks were worried they had been bamboozled. They suffered a crisis of confidence — not in the government — in their individual judgment.
I sympathized with them, and reflected on my own history: As a young girl, I went to my grandmother to seek her advice about a problem at school. A classmate had greatly disappointed me; for days, I believed myself the villain because I had failed to properly assess her character.
My grandmother invited me to sit next to her. She then told a story that has stayed with me and has guided my personal and professional relationships.
One day, she said, a frog was considering traveling across a lake. The opposite shoreline seemed lush and inviting. He had persuaded himself there were treats to be found. He wasn’t sure, however, he could safely make the trip. The lake was wide, and if he grew tired, there were few places for him to rest.
As the frog considered the mathematics and other factors for success or failure, a scorpion came by; he also wanted to cross the lake. The scorpion couldn’t make the trip without assistance. The frog was just the ticket.
“Maybe I could take the trip with you. At least you would have company,” the scorpion said. The frog hesitated. The scorpion was as dangerous as the lake was wide.
“Don’t worry. I promise not to do anything,” the scorpion said, using a most persuasive voice. “I’ll just ride on your back and offer encouraging words.”
The frog eventually acquiesced.
In the middle of the lake, the frog suddenly felt a sting. “You bit me,” he said to the scorpion. “Why did you do that?”
“I don’t know,” the scorpion replied. “I couldn’t help myself. It’s my nature.”
Who was frog and who was the scorpion in the alleged relationship between Brown and Gray? What do you think?
Jonetta Rose Barras’ column appears on Monday and Wednesday. She can be reached at [email protected].
