Where I Stand: Ridicule of Hillary unjustified

Wednesday, June 26, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

JUDGE NOT, lest ye be judged.

The power of those biblical words is oftentimes lost on us as we spend the better part of our days judging the frailties of others in a light far harsher than the one we use at home.

At no time has our pettiness become more evident than during this past week when we have joined some media nitwits in ridiculing the first lady of the United States for "talking" to Eleanor Roosevelt and Mahatma Ghandi. The facts, of course, about what actually happened have little or nothing to do with the story -- which has managed to keep the front pages and nightly news staffs busy and able to avoid the more serious news of the day.

What has managed to keep tongues wagging and mouths flapping has been the media's inability to focus on the substance of the event -- or nonevent -- rather than the form it took by being reported in an upcoming book by Bob Woodward.

Hillary Rodham Clinton has, at the very least, been a challenge to many men and a great deal of American women who are having difficulty accepting the fact -- rather than just the concept -- of a successful mother and career woman. She has made herself a very easy target because she has been unafraid to venture forth again and again into this man's world.

Of course, Hillary Clinton, like anyone else who has achieved a measure of success, has given her detractors some grist for their mill. That makes her human but it shouldn't make her a punching bag for everyone with a political ax to grind or an insecurity complex to feed.

So what did Hillary do that is so damning? Did she conduct a seance, which is acceptable behavior in some parts of the world but out of bounds for first and other ladies in America? No.

Did Hillary conjure up some evil spirits through voodoo or other black magic that isn't becoming for a person living in the White House? The answer still is no.

What Hillary did is no different from what I and most people I know have done from time to time. That's right, we are all guilty of doing what Hillary Clinton did, we just don't recognize it through all the political diatribe and piling on that is going on.

How many times have we been in a situation in which we ask ourselves, "What would my father, or mother, or priest or mentor say about this particular situation?" And how many times have we come up with an answer based on something we learned from them or surmised that they might have told us if they could?

The only difference between what most Americans do and what Hillary Clinton did was that she picked two of the 20th century's most brilliant examples of humility, intelligence, power and compassion to play the "what if" game. And she did it in a newer, more modern way that is catching on in board rooms and classrooms around the world.

It is clear to me that this country is still in the mood to pick away at our leadership and their families until one day we wake up and there are no sane, decent, intelligent people left in the game upon whom we can pick. That's when we will stop judging others and start judging ourselves.

Rather than ridicule a woman like Hillary Clinton, we would be wiser to hold her up -- with her flaws and frailties -- as an example to the females in our lives of how they can have it both ways.

It is about raising exceptional families and having successful careers. And if you don't believe me, ask Eleanor Roosevelt. She'll be the first to tell you that it is so.

The king is dead. Long live the king.

In this case, long live the Colonel. Elvis has been gone a long time but his memory burns so bright that many people still believe he lives. There is one man who knows because he knew Elvis the King better than anyone.

Colonel Tom Parker is 87 years young today and he is just as sharp as he ever was when he was guiding a young rock singer named Presley to a starring role in the lives of American generations. It was the Colonel's ability to channel Elvis' great talent that made him a success and which has allowed his memory to endure.

As one of Las Vegas' premier citizens, Colonel Parker has not rested on the fame and fortune that came with Elvis. He continues to give back to this community in far greater measure than the financial success he achieved.

One way he fulfills that commitment has been through his efforts to send needy children to summer camp. He has been a stalwart supporter of the Las Vegas SUN Summer Camp Fund, having provided hundreds of young children with a camping experience rather than an otherwise bleak summer in the Las Vegas heat.

I know I speak for all of those young children, as well as Elvis fans worldwide, in wishing Colonel Parker a very happy and healthy birthday.