A BLEEDING NATION - CHAPTER 12: CORRUPTION WITHOUT SHAME

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Chapter 12: Corruption Without Shame

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«African Proverb: "The fish begins to rot from the head."»

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«Yoruba Proverb: "When a child watches his father steal and celebrate, he learns that theft is success."»

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«Another Proverb: "A nation does not collapse when corruption appears; it collapses when corruption is celebrated."»

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The greatest danger facing a nation is not corruption.

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The greatest danger is when corruption becomes normal.

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When people no longer feel ashamed.

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When wrong becomes right.

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When honesty becomes foolishness.

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When thieves become heroes.

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That was the disease slowly eating away at the nation.

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Like termites hidden inside a wooden house.

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Silent.

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Patient.

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Destructive.

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Daniel realized this one afternoon while visiting a government office.

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The building was crowded.

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People waited in long lines under the hot sun.

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Some had traveled for hours.

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Others had traveled for days.

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They came seeking services that should have taken only minutes.

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Yet nothing moved.

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Nothing happened.

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Nothing changed.

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Hours passed.

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Frustration grew.

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Then Daniel noticed something.

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A man arrived.

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He walked directly past the line.

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He entered an office.

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A few minutes later, he emerged smiling.

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His documents had been approved.

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His work was complete.

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His problem was solved.

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The hundreds of people waiting outside remained where they were.

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Confused.

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Angry.

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Powerless.

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Daniel approached one of the workers.

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"How did he finish so quickly?"

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The worker smiled knowingly.

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"He understands the system."

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Daniel understood exactly what that meant.

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Money.

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A bribe.

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The unofficial language of corruption.

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The language many institutions spoke fluently.

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---

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Later that evening, Daniel sat with Hassan in a small restaurant.

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Rain tapped softly against the windows.

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The journalist looked exhausted.

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Months of investigations had revealed painful truths.

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"What troubles me most," Hassan said, "is not the corruption itself."

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"What is it then?" Daniel asked.

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"The celebration of corruption."

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Daniel remained silent.

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Hassan continued.

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"When a corrupt politician arrives in a village, people rush to greet him."

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"When a thief builds a mansion, people praise his success."

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"When stolen wealth is displayed, many admire it."

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The words stung because they were true.

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Somewhere along the way, society had confused wealth with integrity.

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People rarely asked how riches were acquired.

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They only admired the result.

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The expensive cars.

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The large houses.

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The luxury lifestyle.

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Nobody questioned the source.

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And because nobody questioned it, corruption flourished.

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---

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Several weeks later, a major scandal shook the country.

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Billions meant for public projects had disappeared.

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The money was supposed to improve schools.

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Build hospitals.

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Repair roads.

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Support farmers.

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Instead, it vanished.

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The investigation revealed shocking details.

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Powerful individuals were involved.

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Government officials.

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Business partners.

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Political allies.

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The evidence was overwhelming.

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Citizens were outraged.

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Radio stations discussed the scandal endlessly.

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Television channels covered it daily.

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Social media exploded with criticism.

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For a moment, it seemed justice might finally prevail.

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But then something familiar happened.

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The story faded.

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The investigations slowed.

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The arrests stopped.

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The headlines disappeared.

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Life returned to normal.

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The powerful remained powerful.

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The poor remained poor.

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The nation continued bleeding.

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---

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One day, Daniel traveled to a rural community where a government school had supposedly received renovation funds.

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The reality shocked him.

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The classrooms were collapsing.

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The roof leaked during rainfall.

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Students shared broken desks.

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Teachers lacked basic materials.

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Yet official records claimed the project had been completed successfully.

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Daniel stood inside one of the classrooms.

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A teacher pointed toward the ceiling.

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"When it rains, we stop teaching."

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"Why?"

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"Because water falls directly into the classroom."

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The teacher laughed bitterly.

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"According to government documents, this school is one of the best in the state."

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Daniel looked around.

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There was nothing funny about the situation.

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The laughter came from pain.

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The kind of pain people develop when disappointment becomes routine.

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---

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That evening, he met an old farmer named Pa Ade.

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The elderly man had spent his entire life working the land.

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His face carried the wisdom of many decades.

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After listening to Daniel's frustrations, the old man spoke quietly.

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"My son, corruption is like a poisonous tree."

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Daniel listened carefully.

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"It begins with a small seed."

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The old man picked up a dry leaf.

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"Then it grows."

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He pointed toward the horizon.

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"Soon its roots spread everywhere."

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He sighed deeply.

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"And before long, even good people begin eating its fruit."

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The words lingered in Daniel's mind.

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Because corruption was no longer limited to politicians.

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It had spread everywhere.

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Into institutions.

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Into businesses.

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Into communities.

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Into everyday life.

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People bribed officials.

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Officials demanded bribes.

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Contracts were manipulated.

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Examinations were compromised.

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Justice was sold.

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Integrity was abandoned.

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The poison had spread.

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---

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Months passed.

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Daniel continued his investigations.

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Every story revealed the same pattern.

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Greed.

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Self-interest.

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Abuse of power.

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Yet something else troubled him.

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Many people no longer seemed shocked.

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Corruption had become expected.

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Almost normal.

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A young graduate once told him:

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"If I get into government, I will take my share."

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Daniel stared at him.

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"Why?"

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"Because everyone else is doing it."

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The answer frightened him.

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Not because one young man believed it.

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But because millions thought the same way.

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When corruption becomes a culture, fighting it becomes far more difficult.

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---

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One night, Daniel sat outside with his father.

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The old man listened carefully as his son described everything he had witnessed.

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When Daniel finished, silence filled the air.

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Finally, his father spoke.

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"A nation dies long before its buildings collapse."

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Daniel looked at him.

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"What do you mean?"

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The old man pointed toward his chest.

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"A nation dies when conscience dies."

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The words struck deeply.

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Because conscience was disappearing.

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People knew what was wrong.

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Yet many ignored it.

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People recognized injustice.

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Yet many tolerated it.

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People condemned corruption.

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Yet many participated in it when given the opportunity.

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The disease had become both personal and national.

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---

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As darkness covered the city, Daniel stared toward the distant lights.

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Somewhere, another contract was being manipulated.

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Somewhere, another public fund was being stolen.

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Somewhere, another promise was being betrayed.

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The cycle continued.

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Endlessly.

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Yet Daniel refused to surrender to hopelessness.

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Because he also knew another truth.

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Corruption survives in darkness.

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But truth creates light.

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And light has a way of exposing hidden things.

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No matter how deeply they are buried.

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The nation was bleeding.

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Not only because money was stolen.

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But because values were stolen.

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Integrity was stolen.

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Trust was stolen.

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Hope was stolen.

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And until honesty became more honorable than wealth, the wounds would remain open.

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The road to healing would be long.

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Painful.

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Difficult.

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But every journey begins with a single step.

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And perhaps the first step was simple.

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To stop celebrating corruption.

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To stop admiring stolen wealth.

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To stop rewarding dishonesty.

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Because a nation cannot heal while it applauds the hands that wound it.

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And as Daniel looked into the darkness, he prayed that one day the people would remember that truth.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8In1DBLUM

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