Dead Drop: January 21

BAD NUMBERS: The Gallup polling people are out with their periodic rating of the public’s perception of the honesty and ethics of major occupations. The good news is that the majority of the public (61%) think that military officers have high ethical standards.  The bad news is that the number is down ten points since it was last measured in 2017, and is now at an all-time low. Nurses top the list for the 20th straight year – perhaps not surprising since so many Americans have gotten to meet nurses over the past couple years. The honesty of Members of Congress is viewed “Very high or high” by only 9 percent of the public – but they beat out car salespeople by one percent.

BAD JUDGMENT: A judge in Kentucky seems to think that the U.S. military is either an alternative to prison – or a home for wayward young men.  Judge Thomas Wingate handed down a year-long sentence to Brandon Scott Price for second-degree sexual assault – but said the price of Price going free would be signing up for the military in the next 30 days.  According to Task & Purpose, Price was a guard in the local jail – and was convicted of assaulting a female prisoner.  Doesn’t exactly sound like an ideal recruit, your honor.

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