We need to bring back shame

There is no shame in the world anymore. If there were, so many things would be so very different.

Take Client 9, for example. If he knew shame, he would not have had numerous dalliances with prostitutes of the years. If he knew of shame, his resignation statement would have contained a modicum of contrition.

If he knew of shame, he would not have tried to publicly smear his political rival.

Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer ordered an aide to release travel records to discredit a political rival despite the ex-governor's public denials, a criminal prosecutor said Friday.

County prosecutor P. David Soares said Spitzer directly ordered his aide Darren Dopp in a profanity laced exchange to release records that could embarrass state Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno and perhaps lead Bruno deeper into a federal investigation.

If there were shame, Client 9's replacement, David Paterson, would not have had an affair himself some years earlier. Nor would have his wife. Nor would he have tried cocaine and marijuana when he was younger.

If there were shame, far fewer women would have children out of wedlock. Far more men would stay with the families they create.

Life would be so different if there was shame.